Tahupotiki Wiremu Ratana

Tahupotiki Wiremu Ratana, of Ngati Apa and Nga Rauru, was born at Te Kawau, near Bulls in 1873.

In November 1918 he described a vision of the Holy Spirit, which had come to him in the form of a strange whirlwind-like cloud. After this he was known as the mangai (mouthpiece) of the Holy Spirit, and was said to have the gift of healing through prayer. His reputation spread rapidly, and a village grew where he lived, becoming known as Ratana pa (near present-day Marton). In 1921 and 1922 he travelled throughout New Zealand. Thousands attended his meetings, and many became his followers.

During the early 1920s the Ratana religious movement became more organised and political. An office was set up at Ratana pa, and members began publishing a newspaper, Te Whetu Marama o Te Kotahitanga. In 1924 Ratana took a petition to London, signed by more than 30,000 Maori. They called for the return of confiscated lands, and implementation of the Treaty of Waitangi. He was not allowed to speak with King George V. A member of the group also tried and failed to present the petition to the League of Nations in Geneva. But Ratana's actions did help persuade the New Zealand Government, in 1926, to set up a commission of inquiry (the Sim Commission). It was to investigate land confiscation, and it later upheld many Maori grievances over land.

The Ratana Church was formally established in 1925. In 1928 Ratana became involved in politics. He referred to the four Maori seats as the four quarters of his body, which he aimed to win through the voting power of his followers - who were said to number 40,000 by 1934. Ratana favoured the Labour Party, who had consulted Ratana supporters in devising their Maori policy.

In 1932 Eruera Tirikatene-Sullivan became the first Ratana MP (representing Southern Maori), with instructions to support Labour. A Ratana candidate also won the Western Maori seat in 1935. In 1936 Ratana and his family declared themselves Labour Party members. At an historic meeting in 1936 he presented the Labour leader, M. J. Savage, with gifts symbolising the partnership between Ratana and Labour. By 1943 all four Labour seats were held by the Ratana/Labour alliance. This relationship still remains strong. Ratana died in 1939.

See also: biography of Tahupotiki Wiremu Ratana at DNZB website