Name Iriaka Ratana Role New Zealand Politician | Died December 21, 1981 Party New Zealand Labour Party | |
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Born 25 February 1905 ( 1905-02-25 ) Hiruharama, Upper Whanganui River, New Zealand | ||
Iriaka Matiu Rātana (25 February 1905 – 21 December 1981) was a New Zealand politician and Rātana morehu who won the Western Maori electorate for Labour in 1949. She succeeded her husband Matiu Rātana to become the first woman to represent Maori in the New Zealand parliament. She held the electorate until her retirement in 1969.
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Early life
An entertainer from an early age, she was a member of the Rātana haka, poi, and waiata groups and travelled with them throughout New Zealand and overseas. In 1925, she married Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana to become his second wife and had two children. Hamuera, the oldest died from tuberculosis in 1934, and the second, Raniera Te Aohou Ratana later became head of the Rātana church.
Following her husband's death in 1939, Rātana married Matiu Rātana, a son of T. W. Rātana. The couple farmed until the death in 1945 of Matiu's elder brother, Haami Tokouru Rātana who was Member of Parliament (MP) for the Māori seat of Western Maori. Matiu Rātana was elected in the 1945 election and held the seat until his accidental death in 1949.
Political career
Iriaka Rātana's decision to stand for parliament was opposed by those supporting traditional leadership roles, with Te Puea Herangi speaking out against her claim to "captain the Tainui canoe". Only the strong backing of the Rātana church and her threat to stand as a Rātana Independent secured her the Labour Party nomination.
She won the Western Maori electorate for Labour in the 1949 general election. She succeeded her husband Matiu Ratana to become the first woman to represent Maori in the New Zealand parliament. She got a similar majority (6317) to her husband in 1946 (his majority was 6491), but no less than seven independent candidates stood against her; they got 116 to 326 votes each.
She held the electorate until her retirement in 1969.
As an MP Iriaka Rātana was concerned with welfare issues for Maori. She worked hard to improve living standards, particularly at the church settlement of Rātana pā.
Iriaka Rātana was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to the Māori people in the 1971 New Year Honours. She died on 21 December 1981 in Wanganui Hospital and was buried at Aramoho Cemetery.