Early Life:
Nene was born probably in the 1780s. He was the second son of Tapua, leader, and tohunga of Ngāti Hao of Hokianga, and the younger brother of Patuone, the inheritor of their father’s mana. By descent and marriage, this family was connected to many of the major chiefs of Hokianga, Whangaroa, the Bay of Islands, and other places. Through his mother, Te Kawehau, he was related to Hongi Hika, and also to the brothers Rewa (Manu), Moka, and Te Wharerahi. His sister Tari married Te Wharerahi. Nene could trace his descent from Rāhiri, ancestor of Ngāpuhi, through several lines.
His Career:
In early manhood, Nene began to distinguish himself as a war leader. He may have fought his first battle around 1800, helping Te Hōtete, the father of Hongi Hika, avenge the sack of his pā Ōkuratope, at Waimate North, by Ngare Raumati, the people of Te Rāwhiti in the Bay of Islands. Thereafter Nene would have taken part in a series of battles involving Te Roroa, Ngāpuhi, and his people. These conflicts left several unresolved issues; some Māori believed that they led Nene to oppose Hōne Heke in the northern war of the 1840s.