Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters lead the Government delegation on to the marae at Rātana Pā last year
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters lead the Government delegation on to the marae at Rātana Pā last year
Opinion by Penetaui Kleskovich
Penetaui Kleskovich is of Croatian and Māori heritage and general manager of Te Aupouri.
THREE KEY FACTS
Political leaders will be welcomed to Rātana Village on Thursday and Friday.
The Rātana movement was founded by Tahupotiki Wiremu Rātana in 1925.
Rātana events have historical ties between Māori and the Crown.
Each January political delegations make their way to the Rātana village near Whanganui to be formally welcomed by the membership of this uniquely Māori denomination.
In 1918, the founder, Tahupotiki Wiremu Rātana, received the maramatanga, his spiritual revelations, and the movement was born. In 1925, a church was formally created.
Rātana Church founder T.W. (Tahupōtiki Wiremu) Rātana.
Rātana was born on January 25, 1873 – the same decade as Sir Apirana Ngata and Sir Peter Buck – but he sought no knighthood.
Rather through faith, he endeavoured to bring his followers into enlightenment.
As the Rātana gospel spread after World War I in Māori villages around New Zealand, hope abounded. This man was dubbed the māngai, the spiritual mouthpiece.
But as he spread his message, splits within hapū and whānau appeared.
The traditional religious affiliation, especially around the Far North, had been the Church of England or Mihingare, a Māori word for missionaries.
This was the faith brought by Samuel Marsden with the sponsorship of Nga Puhi chief, Ruatara to Oihi in 1814.
We have a famous waiata: ‘Kua taiapatia te papa one one ki te roria rino, ki te paraharaha’. The land has been cut up for trinkets and pieces of iron.”
The choices were not easy. Should the whānau hold with tradition or should they try a new way?
Anglican and Catholic worship centres had been established in Northland since the 1830s.
Muriwhenua chiefs such as Nopera Panakareao, Paraone Ngaruhe and Te Ripi Puhipi signed the Treaty of Waitangi at Te Ahu, Kaitāia. The former is famous for uttering the phrase “the shadow of the land” to the Queen, but the soil to remain with the Māori forever.
In 1921, when Rātana visited Tai Tokerau, their mokopuna were left holding a shadow of their ancestral whenua. Cape Rēinga, Te Rerenga Wairua, the sacred pōhutukawa, loomed large in Māori heritage, but it was invisible in terms of ownership rights.
Tribal whenua had been largely lost in dodgy dealings with Crown land agents. The residue was undeveloped, capital was non-existent and the general economy of the tail of the fish was hand to mouth or worse.
Rātana understood this and placed Treaty fulfilment at the heart of his mission.
In one hand he held the Bible, the other the Treaty. He offered hope and a willingness to receive with humility all people at his pā.
This tone of open-mindedness remains a feature of Rātana events. Leaders back to Helen Clark have all been at ease around church members and leadership.
Brass bands herald the arrival of politicians at Rātana Pā. Photo / NZME
The Rātana brass band proudly leads the MPs and officials on to the marae. Great tents are erected for visitors to sit in and observe proceedings. The young and old show talent and enthusiasm with cornet and drum alike.
The pōwhiri or welcome ceremony has not changed much. Host speakers deliver remarks that affirm bonds and shared interests. Some recount the 1930s tale of Labour leader Micky Savage and the Rātana march of all Māori seats. To keep such memories alive the Rātana parish, Mangakahia, Kaikohe, is called Hawiti, the Māori form of savage.
Only Matua Winston Peters – the GOAT – in the 1990s has been able to emulate that feat. He knew Te Reo Hura, daughter of Rātana and 1980s church leader.
Winston Peters was acquainted with Te Reo Hura, daughter of Rātana and 1980s church leader. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Members look forward to his arrival and contributions.
The wording on the Rātana marae is “haere mai e ngā iwi”, a welcome to everyone, note to all visitors both languages permitted. The symbolism of the Endeavour and the Heemskerk in the list of painted waka on the buildings resonates with the political community.
For some it may appear odd that MPs make the effort to attend a religious celebration. It is a positive reminder that faith, whakapono ,and pukutohe, persistence, are as vital to Māori wellbeing as service delivery.
Penetaui Kleskovich with the koha envelopes. Photo / Supplied
Rātana in contrast to Waitangi will be an understated affair. It is unlikely to generate media hype. Its roots, however, have a distinctive role in the history of Māori interaction with the Crown worthy of ongoing acknowledgment.
