Rātana will today welcome the new Māori queen Nga wai hono i te poand Te Pāti Māori.
This is the Queen’s first official visit following her father Kīngi Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero’s death.
Kīngitanga spokesman Rahui Papa highlighted the close relationship between Ratana and the Kīngitanga.
Rātana will today welcome the new Māori queen Nga wai hono i te poand Te Pāti Māori on to its marae as MPs from political parties make their way to the annual Whanganui gathering to celebrate the life of the Rātana faith founder T.W. Ratana.
It will be an especially important day for the queen, as this will be her first official visit to Rātana following the death of her father, the much-loved dad Kingi Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero, last September.
Kīngitanga spokesman Rahui Papa told the Herald Rātana and the Kīngitanga have a very close relationship.
“With the change in the Ariki, going to Rātana is going to be hugely important for Kuini Nga wai hono i te po,” Papa said.
“From her great-grandfather, to her grandmother and father who attended Rātana, this is now her time and we see her fulfilling this role for years to come.
Waka carry Kingi Tuheitia and mourners to Taupiri maunga for burial during his tangi on September 5 last year. Photo / Mike Scott
“This will be the first of many because the Kīngitanga and Rātana share a number of principles that are in concert with each other.”
Papa said the new queen was fitting into her role and was a connector between the old world of her grandparents and father to the new energised Māori youth of today.
“With the passing of her father, there were some tikanga reservations but absolutely she is fitting in to her role and to see her kōrero with the kaumātua and the rangatahi is wonderful,” Papa said.
“She is the face of Māoridom and in 2027-2028, half of the Māori will be older and half will be younger.
Rahui Papa during his speech, directed to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and the Government, at Rātana Pā on January 24 last year. Photo / Mark Mitchell
“She is in the median age and she is going to be something in the new era of Facebook or Instagram and communication devices. She is of that age and fits a number of demographics.
“She is very aligned to the ways of the kaumātua but also very aligned to the new generation of Māori across the country.”
The Kīngitanga and Te Pāti Māori will be welcomed on to Rātana at 3pm today.
Te Pāti Māori president John Tamihere.
Te Pāti Māori president John Tamihere said attending Rātana is always a highlight of the political year.
He said Rātana and Waitangi were two events where Māori could be Māori.
”It’s impossible for anyone to out-Māori Te Pāti Māori," Tamihere told the Herald.
“That is why we honour our movements with our presence at Rātana, at Waitangi and with the Kīngitanga. Ko tahi tatou – we are one with our people.”
The Rātana Church was founded more than 100 years ago by Tahupōtiki Wiremu Ratana. Members and visitors gather every year to mark his January 25 birthday.
Deputy Prime Minister and NZ First leader Winston Peters and his deputy Shane Jones will join National MPs, Labour and the Greens on Friday at Rātana.
Joseph Los’e is an award winning journalist and joined NZME in 2022 as Kaupapa Māori Editor. Los’e was a chief reporter, news director at the Sunday News newspaper covering crime, justice and sport. He was also editor of the NZ Truth and prior to joining NZME worked for urban Māori organisation Whānau Waipareira.
