Rua Tapunui Kenana (1869–1937) was a Māori prophet, faith healer and land rights activist. This article discusses the Māori people of New Zealand For their language see Māori language, and for other meanings see Māori (disambiguation.

Background

Rua Kenana "Mihaia"

Early in 1906 the New Zealand newspapers began to notice a new Māori activist-prophet, Rua Kenana. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island He caught their attention by his claims to strange and mystic origins: he was brother to Christ and son of the still feared visionary and guerilla, Te Kooti Rikirangi. Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Turuki (c 1814–1891 was a Māori leader founder of the Ringatu Religion and guerrilla. He prophesised that within the month of June, all the lands of the Māori would be restored to them. On 25 June, King Edward VII of the United Kingdom would meet Rua at Gisborne and in exchange for diamonds, would hand over New Zealand into Rua's authority. For other uses of Gisborne see Gisborne (disambiguation. Gisborne (Tūranga-nui-a-Kiwa is the name of a unitary authority in New Zealand Thus by peaceful means, the longest standing grievance of the Māori would be remedied: their subjection to pākehā rule would be ended at once. New Zealand European Pākehā are New Zealanders of predominantly European ancestry When the king failed to appear, Rua announced, I am really that king. Here I am with all my people.

These early visions of Rua contained little appeal to European understanding, but his messianic dreams for his people incorporated other pragmatic and comprehensible schemes. By 1908 he had built for himself and his followers a new community, at Maungapohatu, in the heart of the isolated jungles of the Urewera country. Te Urewera, often known as The Ureweras, is an area of the central North Island of New Zealand. (The wars between Maori and pakeha were fought largely in the Ureweras between 1869 and 1872, because Te Turuki sought refuge with the Tuhoe. Ngāi Tūhoe (IPA'ŋaɪː 'tuːhoe a Māori Iwi ("tribe" of New Zealand, takes its name from an ancestral figure Tūhoe-pōtiki Their principal grievance was the recent loss of their low-lying lands, across the mouth of the Waimana and Ruatoki valleys, which were taken in 1866 in the general Bay of Plenty confiscations. History According to local Māori traditions, the Bay of Plenty was the landing point of several migration canoes that brought Māori settlers to New Zealand ) The few pakeha visitors who undertook the arduous inland journey to the settlement praised the enthusiasm of the faithful, which Rua was directing towards the creation of a good life on ancestral Tuhoe lands.

These more recognizable goals made Rua into a person of note in the Whakatane district. Whakatane (ɸakaˈtaːne in Māori; fɒkəˈtɑːni or /ʍɒkəˈtɑːni/ in English is a City in the Bay of Plenty region in the North Island Indeed he became a very familiar figure as he rode down from the mountains on his customary white horse, with his disciples, on large-scale shopping expeditions to the general stores at Waimana, Gisborne and Opotiki. For other uses of Gisborne see Gisborne (disambiguation. Gisborne (Tūranga-nui-a-Kiwa is the name of a unitary authority in New Zealand Opotiki is a town in the eastern Bay of Plenty in the North Island of New Zealand. Today he is not remembered with fear. Yet fear lay close beneath the surface of contemporary European commentaries and pakeha children were hurried home from school when Rua rode by. Though a pacifist, he was a separatist leader of the last section of the Maori people who emerged from relative isolation into contact with European settlement- the Tuhoe of the Urewera country. ^[1]

The history of Rua Kenana

Rua was born in 1869 at Maungapohatu in the Urewera Country New Zealand. Te Urewera, often known as The Ureweras, is an area of the central North Island of New Zealand. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island He was the posthumous son of Kenana Tumoana, who was killed at Makaretu in November 1868 while fighting for Te Kooti, and of Ngahiwi Te Rihi. Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Turuki (c 1814–1891 was a Māori leader founder of the Ringatu Religion and guerrilla. Rua was a member of the Tamakaimoana hapu of the Tūhoe tribe and, although not a chief in his own right, was of high birth and could trace his descent from Potiki and Toroa of the Mataatua canoe. In New Zealand society iwi (iwi form the largest everyday Social units in Māori populations. Ngāi Tūhoe (IPA'ŋaɪː 'tuːhoe a Māori Iwi ("tribe" of New Zealand, takes its name from an ancestral figure Tūhoe-pōtiki In Māori tradition, Mataatua was one of the great voyaging canoes by which Polynesians migrated to New Zealand.

Rua standing on the rock in the centre.

In 1887 Rua left Maungapohatu to learn farming. He worked on sheep stations in the Gisborne and Bay of Plenty districts and was a member of a shearing gang on the East Coast. For other uses of Gisborne see Gisborne (disambiguation. Gisborne (Tūranga-nui-a-Kiwa is the name of a unitary authority in New Zealand History According to local Māori traditions, the Bay of Plenty was the landing point of several migration canoes that brought Māori settlers to New Zealand During this period he studied the Bible. Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin In 1905 he returned to Maungapohatu where he set himself up as a prophet of the New Testament type. In Religion, a prophet (or prophetess) is a person who has encountered the Supernatural or the divine and serves as an intermediary Here he formed his new self sufficient community at Maungapohatu which he called the “New Jerusalem with its eventual population of between 800-1000 followers. In The Bible, the New Jerusalem (also called the tabernacle of God, holy city, city of God, celestial city, and heavenly Jerusalem

Te Kooti Arikirangi the founder of the Ringatu religion had predicted before he died that he would have successor. The Ringatu church was founded in 1868 by Te Kooti Rikirangi The symbol for the movement is an upraised hand or "Ringa Tu" in Māori. ^[2] Rua's statement that he was the successor to Te Kooti was first announced through an experience that he underwent on Maungapohatu, the sacred mountain of Tuhoe. The oral narratives tell how Rua and his first wife, Pinepine Te Rika, were directed to climb the mountain by a supernatural apparition, later revealed to be the archangel Gabriel. The term supernatural or supranatural ( Latin: super, supra "above" + natura "nature" pertains to entities events Gabriel ( Latin: Gabrielus; Greek:, Gabriēl; Arabic: جبريل Jibrīl or جبرائيل There they were shown a hidden diamond, the guardian-stone of the land, whose bright light was shielded by Te Kooti's shawl. Rua, in his turn, covered it again to protect it. In some versions of the narrative Rua met both Whaitiri, the ancestress of Tuhoe, and Christ on the mountain. Rua would soon claim to be the Maori brother of Christ. ^[3]

The first of three periods of settlement at Maungapohatu, Rua arrived at this isolated jungle outpost as the winter set in. Those who were there can still remember the harshness of that first year: the potato crop failed and there were no pigs to be had. Tatu, one of the Riwaiti, had to go back to Te Whaiti to collect 6 sows to start their own breeding colony. At least fifty people died that winter: most of them children, from the inadequacy of the houses, an outbreak of typhoid which came from the valley camps, and a measles epidemic which devastated the community. Sometimes there was nothing to eat but huhu, and the coarse toi leaves, normally used only for clothing. The huhu beetle, Prionoplus reticularis, is the largest endemic Beetle found in New Zealand, a member of the Longhorn beetle But from this inauspicious beginning, the community struggled on to a first summer of great plenty. Two groups had come together to build ‘te pa tapu o te atua’, the sacred pā of the Lord. The word pā (pronounced pah refers to a Māori Village, generally one from the 19th century or earlier that was fortified for defence : the Tuhoe, about half the entire tribe, and the Whakatohea, who through confiscation were almost landless. To signify the union between these two Mataatua tribes, Rua constructed the house of the Lord, Hiruharama Hou, built with two gables. One side was for Tuhoe and the other for Whakatohea. ^[4]

Maungapohatu, city of the mist.

Rua claimed to be the new Christ – the son of Jehovah –and said that no one who joined him would die. Christ is the English term for the Greek ( Khristós) meaning "the anointed " Yahweh|God in Abrahamic religions Jehovah is an English reading of, the most frequent form of the Tetragrammaton, the name of God in the Hebrew Bible, in He called himself Te Mihaia Hou, the New Messiah. Rua owed his power to the great skill with which he applied the scriptures to the day today events in the lives of those who believed in him. His prophetic sayings (hga kupu whakari) gave meaning to a harsh existence, and offered hope to the future. He attempted to create a new system of land ownership and land usage. He organised a strong communal basis in all the settlements he founded, but also emphasized the concept of family ownwership of property. He cast aside all traditional Māori tapu practices, but replaced them with new forms specifically associated with the faith in himself as the Promised Messiah. His followers vested their lands in Rua and he had these surveyed and sold back to them. The settlement was administered by the prophet's own parliament. He also formed a Māori mining company to exploit the mineral resources of the Urewera.

At the prophet's command 5 miles of forest were cleared and a prosperous farming community grew up under his leadership. Rua acted as his people's banker and took tithes of all they earned; but in return he gave them a prosperity they had never before known. A tithe (from Old English teogoþa "tenth" is a one-tenth part of something paid as a (usually voluntary contribution or as a Tax or levy

Rua built a curious two-storied circular temple of worship at Maungapohatu, this was called the Hiona (Zion) and also became his parliament from where the community affairs were administered. A temple (from the Latin word Templum) is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities such as prayer and sacrifice or analogous rites This meeting house, which was circular was decorated with a design of blue clubs and yellow diamonds. Built in imitation of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, it stood within the inner sanctum of the pa and was Rua's “Council Chamber and Court House” – also known as “Rua's Temple” and Te Whare Kawana built in 1908. Rua thought it was modeled on the Jerusalem Temple (even though his chamber was not to be a place of worship), but the actual model was the present day Dome of the Rock on Jerusalem's Temple Mount, a Muslim mosque and one of the most sacred of Islamic shrines. Etymology The Hebrew name given in Scripture for the building is Beit HaMikdash or "The Holy House" and only the Temple in Jerusalem is referred to by this name The Dome of the Rock ( Arabic: مسجد قبة الصخرة translit Hiona” was the most remarkable Maori building ever built. Its unique cylinder shape would make it one of a kind^[5] He grew his hair long and affected a bushy beard in the patriarchal tradition fashioned on the Jewish Nazirite. A nazirite or nazarite, (in Hebrew: נזיר nazir) refers to a Jew who took the Ascetic vow described in. As his reading of the Bible appeared to prescribe seven wives, Rua kept to this number and immediately replaced any who died or ran away. In all he had 12 wives and over 70 children.

Rua rear with walking stick with some of the Ihaiira at Lake Waikaremoana

From the King-ite tradition he inherited the idea that Maoris possessed a separate nationality, and this, together with the success of his community, aroused the jealousy of local chiefs and incurred the Government's enmity. Through his personal vision his messianic religion promised the return of Māori lands and mana to Māori, and the end of their subjection to pākehā rule. New Zealand European Pākehā are New Zealanders of predominantly European ancestry He wanted to remove the Tuhoe people totally from European influence and induced many to sell all their stock and farming interests. ^[6]

By 1908 Rua's struggle for power had brought the Tuhoe to the brink of civil war and the Prime Minister Sir Joseph Ward intervened to curb the prophet's influence. A civil war is a War between a State and domestic political actors that are in control of some part of the territory claimed by the state This article is about the government position For other uses see Prime Minister (disambiguation. Sir Joseph George Ward 1st Baronet, GCMG (1856 - 1930 was Prime Minister of New Zealand on two occasions in the early 20th century The Government had organised a meeting in March 1908 at Ruatoki of all the Tuhoe tribes in an attempt to sort out the political differences between the two main Tuhoe factions, that of Rua Kenana and Numai Kereru, chief of the Ngatirongo and the main opponent among the Tuhoe of Rua's Christian-Judaic religious movement. A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut Because conflict was expected the New Zealand Prime Minister had decided to informally visit both parties before the conference. At a dramatic encounter with Sir Joseph Ward right on the Whakatane beach front on 23 March 1908, Rua and Joseph Ward exchanged words. Sir Joseph George Ward 1st Baronet, GCMG (1856 - 1930 was Prime Minister of New Zealand on two occasions in the early 20th century Events 1174 - Jocelin, Abbot of Melrose, is elected Bishop of Glasgow. Year 1908 ( MCMVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Rua flanked by some of his wives and supporters while seated on a chair that had been borrowed from the pub, acknowledged Joseph Ward approaching. Ward addressed both parties publicly asking them to assist to help reconcile the differences in the forthcoming meeting at Ruatoki. To Rua's followers Ward said that he could not accept all that Rua had asked for. In particular, his request for his supporters to be placed on the European electoral role (presumably because they were outnumbered in the Eastern Māori electorate) was unacceptable, for Maoris have “special representation of their own”. At to Rua's request to have a special Māori government, he said, “I told Rua. . . that in New Zealand King Edward is king, and is represented here by his government or king. . . . there can’t be two suns shining in the sky at the same time. ” Rua replied to Ward, "Yes, there is only one sun in the heavens, but it shines on one side- the pakeha side- and it darkens on the other. ” ^[7]

Rua had become a political embarrassment and there arose the need by the Government to make an example of this man widely seen as an agitator, hoping a crackdown would discourage other Māori activists. Activism, in a general sense can be described as intentional action to bring about social or political change The mainstream Anglican church encouraged the Government to suppress Rua Kenana. Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs In 1907, the church passed a motion that supported "the recent action of the Government in the direction of the suppression of tohungism (traditional Māori healing), and trusts that it may be possible for the Church to make more aggressive action among the tribes which are specifically affected by this evil". the culture of the Māori of New Zealand, a tohunga is an expert practitioner of any skill or art religious or otherwise Authorities saw Rua Kenana as a disruptive influence and targeted him with the Tohunga Suppression Act of 1907, which banned traditional Māori healers from using herbs and other healing methods which were part of their traditional medicine. The Tohunga Suppression Act was passed in New Zealand in 1907 sponsored by Maui Pomare who was at that time a Māori District Health Officer ^[8] The Tohunga Suppression Act was designed to neutralise powerful traditional Māori leaders and tailor-made as a political weapon specifically against Rua Kenana and his movement of dessenting Maoris. ^[9]

As a result of a number of trumped up charges in 1910 Rua was fined for sly grogging and, in 1915, served a short gaol sentence for a similar offence. A sly grog shop (or shanty is an Australian term for an unlicensed hotel or liquor-store often with the added suggestion of selling poor-quality liquor a place where alcoholic beverages Rather ironic given that he was not an avid drinker and neither did he smoke. On his release he resumed his alleged sly grogging.

Rua Kenana meets with New Zealand Prime Minister Joseph Ward on Whakatane Beach, 23 March 1908. Sir Joseph George Ward 1st Baronet, GCMG (1856 - 1930 was Prime Minister of New Zealand on two occasions in the early 20th century Whakatane (ɸakaˈtaːne in Māori; fɒkəˈtɑːni or /ʍɒkəˈtɑːni/ in English is a City in the Bay of Plenty region in the North Island Events 1174 - Jocelin, Abbot of Melrose, is elected Bishop of Glasgow. Year 1908 ( MCMVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year

Rua insisted that his people boycott military service pertaining it was immoral to fight for a pakeha King and Country given the injustice meted out on Maoris under the British crown. Rua said, I have 1400 men here and I am not going to let any of them enlist or go to war. You have no king now. The King of England he is no good. He is beat. The Germans will win. Any money I have I will give to the Germans. The English are no good. They have two laws. One for the Maori and one for the Pakeha. When the Germans win I am going to be king here. I will be king of the Maori and of the Pakeha. ^[10] This was taken by the establishment as sedition and finally gave the Government and Rua's detractors the incentive to intervene against Kenana and the Maungapohatu community, which they did in a violent manner. This is about the law term For other uses see Sedition (disambiguation Sedition is a term of Law which refers to covert conduct

On 2 April 1916 a large, (70 officers) heavily armed police party arrived at Maungapohatu to arrest him for sedition. Events 68 - Galba, Governor of Hispania, names himself legatus senatus populique Romani, breaking the line of Year 1916 ( MCMXVI) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year This is about the law term For other uses see Sedition (disambiguation Sedition is a term of Law which refers to covert conduct Because Rua's village was so remote, the police had to take a lot of equipment and camp on the way. They moved like a small army with wagons and pack- horses. So as not to alert the Maungapohatu village of their intention to spring an attack they did not wear their police uniforms till just before the raid. They were convinced that when they reached Maungapohatu there would be an ambush. In fact there was no violent resistance from Rua. ^[11] There are conflicting versions of what took place. Rua refused to submit to arrest, and his supporters fought a brisk half-hour gun battle with the police. In this exchange his son and a Maori bodyguard were killed and two Maoris were wounded. Four constables were also wounded. After a battle ensued for half an hour Rua was arrested and transported to Rotorua, his hair and beard removed. Rotorua is a city on the southern shore of Lake Rotorua in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand, and Rotorua From Rotorua, with 6 other Maori prisoners including Whatu, Rua was transferred to Auckland and sent directly to Mount Eden prison. The Auckland metropolitan area or Greater Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country Mount Eden Prisons refer to the three New Zealand Prisons located in Lauder Road in the Central Auckland suburb of Mt Eden. Rua was held, at first, on a nine months sentence, imposed for the 1915 charges and now increased by his default of fines. After a trial on sedition which lasted 47 days, New Zealands longest till 1977, he was found not guilty of sedition but conveniently sentenced to one year's imprisonment for resisting the police. ^[12]

Police triumphant, parading before Hiona

When he returned to the Urewera, Rua found his mana unimpaired. The settlement at Maungapohatu, however, was broken, divided and the lands overgrown and much of the community having relocated. The Presbyterian Mission under Rev. John Laughton had moved into Maungapohatu and was teachings its sectarian brand of Christian religion and conservative pākehā value systems. This a shock given that Rua had banned pākehā schools from the original community. The costs of defence at the various trials had ruined the community financially as it had to sell stock and land to meet the debt. The community was even ordered to pay the costs of the entire police operations and raid at Maungapohatu. Even though the supreme court had found Rua's arrest illegal and a legal petition had been drafted to Parliament on May 1, 1917 on behalf of the Maungapohatu people calling for a full public inquiry into the events of 2 April 1916, and the behaviour of the police there and later intimidating witnesses, no compensation was ever offered to Maungapohatu. Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Year 1917 ( MCMXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Events 68 - Galba, Governor of Hispania, names himself legatus senatus populique Romani, breaking the line of Year 1916 ( MCMXVI) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year ^[13]

Eventually Rua moved to downstream to Matahi, a community he had founded on the Waimana River in the eastern Bay of Plenty in 1910, where he lived until his death on 20 February 1937. Events 1472 - Orkney and Shetland are left by Norway to Scotland, due to a Dowry payment Year 1937 ( MCMXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He was survived by five wives, nine sons, and 13 daughters. His divinity did not long survive him, however, because he failed to fulfil his promise to rise from the dead. Little now remains to show the glories of Maungapohatu, and his church (Te Wairua Tapu) boasts few followers. The Urewera Country is peaceful, a startling contrast to what it was in the stirring days of the Prophet Rua. ^[14]

Published books

• Mihaia: The prophet Rua Kenana and his community at Maungapohatu, (by Judith Binney, Gillian Chaplin and Craig Wallace. Judith Binney, DCNZM is a New Zealand historian Her work has focussed primarily on religion in New Zealand especially the indigenous Ringatu religion Oxford University Press, 1979). [1][2]
• Bell, James, Mackintosh. The Wilds of Maori Land, London. 1914.
• Best, Elsdon. Elsdon Best ( 30 June 1856 &mdash 9 September 1931) was an ethnographer who made important contributions to the study of the Māori The Maoro 2 vol, Wellington 1924.
• Tuhoe:The Children of the Mist, 2 Vols 2nd ed, Wellington 1972 and 1973.
• Bourne, George (Taipo) A Dusky Dowie: A Maori Prophet at Home Life (Melbourne) December 1908.

As Rua grew up as a boy he grew close with a man named Benjiman Dawson-Bruce. Rua looked up to him as a male figure however Benjimans death was a huge disappointment to Rua. Rua never got over it completely until he was the age of the age of approximately 23 years old.

References

See also

• Māori protest movement
• Waitangi Tribunal
• Land rights
• Pakeha
• Te Kooti
• Mataatua
• Ngāi Tūhoe

External references

• Rua Kenana, The Prophets and activist
• Rua Kenana - Tuhoe Prophet of the Urewera
• Rua Kenana biography (DNZB)
• Rua’s first wife, Pinepine Te Rika's biography, a Tuhoe woman of mana