T. W. Ratana

Tahupotiki Wiremu Ratana (25 January 1873? – 18 September 1939) was the founder of the Ratana religion in the early 20th century in New Zealand. He rose to prominence as a faith healer.

Beginnings

Ratana was of the Ngati Apa tribe — his subtribes were Nga Ariki, Nga Wairiki and Ngati Kauae —and on his mother's side he was of Nga Rauru Kiitahi descent.

Ratana began his spiritual mission during the 1918 influenza epidemic. Ratana claimed that while sitting at home one day looking out to sea, a small cloud rose up from the sea and hovered above his house. From it came the voice of God telling Ratana that the Māori were God's new chosen people, replacing the Jews. Ratana was told to unite the Māori and turn them to God. Ratana began to study the Bible and preach unity for the Māori people. The "Mangai" (Mouthpiece of God) gained a large following among Māori who at this point in New Zealand history were hugely disadvantaged compared to their Pākehā (New Zealanders of European descent) counterparts.

Politics

From 1922 onwards the Ratana movement became increasingly occupied with politics. The movement campaigned for ratification of the Treaty of Waitangi as a "cure-all" for Māori problems and collected 30,000 signatures on a petition calling for this. In 1928 Ratana proclaimed that Ratana candidates would win the four Māori seats in the New Zealand Parliament, likening them to the four parts of his body, or the Four Quarters, as the seats became known. Eruera Tirikatene arranged a meeting with Michael J. Savage in Parliament on 4 February 1936 at which an alliance with the Labour Party was agreed. Savage's predecessor Harry Holland had been reluctant, because of the animosity between Ratana and the Māori King Movement, especially Princess Te Puea. By 1943, the seats had been won, although Ratana died in 1939. The alliance with Labour lasted for over 40 years.

Legacy

The Ratana Church remains one of the largest churches in Māoridom, and the political alliance between Ratana and the Labour Party continues as a strong tie between the Māori people and the Labour party to this day.

External links

* [http://www.theratanachurch.org.nz/twratana.html "T. W. Ratana" on the Ratana Church website]
* [http://www.teara.govt.nz/1966/R/RatanaTahupotikiWiremu/RatanaTahupotikiWiremu/en Biography in the 1966 "Encyclopaedia of New Zealand]
* [http://www.dnzb.govt.nz/dnzb/default.asp Biography in the DNZB]