Hepi Te Heuheu was born in Wellington, New Zealand, on 26 January 1919. He was the son of Hoani Te Heuheu and his wife Raukawa Tawhirau Maniapoto, the daughter of Te Maniapoto and Wakahuia of Taupo. He married Pauline Hinepoto Te Moanapapaku, of Ngāti Tūwharetoa and Ngāti Maru descent, and had six children. After his father died on 27 April 1944, Hepi succeeded him as elected chief of Ngāti Tūwharetoa at the age of 25, in a ceremony conducted by the Māori King, Korokī. In his early years as chief, he concentrated on promoting the tribe's economic foundation through the development of farms and forests. He was influential in selling many lands early settlers required to developed, with strong opposition from traditionally non-selling families. Through his leadership, many families lost thousands of acres of ancestral lands, however it secured his goodwill with the Pakeha government. From 1956 until his death he was chair of the Tūwharetoa Trust Board. His leadership led to the tribe becoming one of the strongest and most independent Māori tribes. He was also a member of the board of the Tongariro National Park. He was a key figure in forming the Federation of Maori Authorities in 1985–86 and was its first chair. He led representations to the government in 1985 which resulted in the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi being protected in the State Owned Enterprises Act 1986. He was instrumental in the formation of the National Maori Congress in 1990. He led the congress in a successful effort to retain and increase the number of Māori electorates, and in opposition to the Runanga Iwi Act 1990 which was repealed in 1991. Then in 1995 he played a leading role in opposing the government's proposal to set a capped budget for the settlement of historic Treaty of Waitangi claims. Georgina te Heuheu, wife of his younger son Timoti, entered Parliament for the National Party in 1996. Te Heuheu died at Taupo Hospital on 31 July 1997 aged 78 and was buried at Waihi. His eldest son Tumu succeeded him as paramount chief of Ngāti Tūwharetoa. Te Heuheu's wife Pauline died in August 1998.
