Tahupotiki Wiremu Ratana

Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana was a 20th-century Māori farmer and religious leader in New Zealand who founded the Rātana church. He gained a reputation as a visionary and faith healer, attracting Māori from across the country to hear his message of moral reform under God. In 1920, he established an interdenominational church at Rātana Pā.12

Rātana's movement offered hope and unity to the Māori people, who had grievances against the New Zealand government, including the loss of land and the impact of World War I. The Rātana church combined religious beliefs with political activism, eventually aligning with the Labour Party and holding Māori parliamentary seats between 1943 and 1963. The church's doctrine of faith healing and its unique rituals led to some conflict with established Christian denominations and secular authorities.1