New Rātana Church leader Manuao Te Kohamutunga Tamou to be presented to his iwi in first of official engagements

Manuao Te Kohamutunga Tamou, Tumuaki Tuawaru (VIII) O Te Haahi Rātana. Photo / Te Kakenga Kawiti-Bishara

The newly elected Tumuaki of the Rātana Church is preparing to head out on his first official engagement since being elected to the role in April, with kōtahitanga and rangatahitanga just some of the items on his agenda.

Manuao Te Kohamutunga Tamou, named after the parting gift his great-grandfather, Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana gave to his people, will make his first public appearance as Te Tumuaki Tuawaru (VIII) O Te Haahi Rātana at his South Taranaki marae this weekend, where he and a contingent from Te Iwi Mōrehu will be welcomed by his home iwi Ngā Rauru and whanaunga of Rangitaawhi in Pātea.

A mātoro - tour of engagements - throughout regions that have a Mōrehu base kicks off on Saturday.

The new Tumuaki will stop in and meet with his whānau at Te Aroha Marae, Kai Iwi, Tauranga Ika Marae, Nukumaru and Wai-O-Turi Marae in Pātea.

“Whānau and guests are invited to share the day with their uri and wānanga their thoughts, ideas and issues with the Tumuaki and his whānau,” Āpōtoro Rūnanga Te Taepa Kameta said.

“It is a call to his whānau across the district to come home and engage in how best to support the Tumuaki to support them, by enabling a platform to speak and be heard as he navigates his new journey.”

Following the passing of the late Harerangi Meihana, Tamou was officially elected to succeed Meihana as the eighth Tumuaki, at this year’s Hui Whakapūmau, annually held at Rātana Pā on Easter weekend.

The first ceremonial karanga, elevating Tamou to his new role, was performed by Ngā Rauru matriarch Ruta Broughton.

Tamou, also known as “Sonny”, is of Ngā Rauru, Ngāti Apa and Ngāti Whakaue descent and is a great-grandson of Rātana church founder Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana and his wife Te Urumanao Rātana.

“His grandmother, Piki Te Ora, also known as Pikihuia, and her older sister Maata Te Reo Hura, who also served in the Tumuaki role, were very close,” Kameta said.

“Both sisters were confirmed by the Wairua Tapu, the Holy Spirit, which befell their father T.W. Rātana during his holy visitation on November 8, 1918.”

It was from that visitation that moves to establish the Rātana Church were born.

Kameta said Tamou comes from a humble, hard-working whānau.

Leadership is nothing new to Tamou, who has served the church for decades.

“Beneath the leadership of his great-aunt Te Reo Hura, who was then tumuaki, a young Manuao grew up under the supervision of the old people of the time as a humble, hard-working man. The experiences his kuia provided for him showed him the importance of dual leadership in both the front and back of the church,” Kameta said.

“His upbringing has influenced him to work and provide for his people in the background, and his elevation to Tumuaki is timely.”

“Manuao is happiest when working and providing for his people, whoever that may be, and supporting them in whatever way possible.”

Tamou went on to work in the freezing works, dedicating almost thirty years to the industry, before continuing his rangatahi, Māori health and social work with Whanganui’s Te Ōranganui.

He was integral in the establishment of the Mōrehu Youth Movement (MYM) of the 1980s - a movement that encapsulated and supported the affairs and initiatives of rangatahi Māori around the country.

He served as an executive of the MYM and continues to support similar projects pertaining to young people within Te Iwi Mōrehu and te ao Māori.

A kaupapa which falls under the Mōrehu Youth Movement, kapa haka Te Reanga Mōrehu O Rātana.

Award-winning kapa haka Te Reanga Mōrehu O Rātana is just one of many original long-term subsidiaries of the MYM, and their national and regional successes are accredited to Tamou and his wife, Tracy.

“From Reanga also comes the academia of Māori performing arts through the Bachelor of Māori Performing Arts (BMPA), which has seen over 40 graduates, many of whom are current or past members of Rātana kapa haka. BMPA is also supported by the MYM and Tamou,” Kameta said.

“The work which Manuao has contributed to the MYM is prevalent in the young adults of the movement, who spent their entire lives looking up to him.

“There are broadcasters, health workers, teachers, kapa haka tutors and the likes who have been supported by our tumuaki throughout the years.”

The mātoro looks to plan out the calendar year for Tamou.

Whakamoemiti will be held at 9am on Saturday morning at Te Temepara O Te Haahi Rātana, the Rātana Temple before the Tumuaki and followers embark towards Kai Iwi, with a pōhiri at 10am.

They will then continue on to Nukumaru and will be welcomed at 11am, and then will make a final appearance at Pātea, where a mass pōwhiri will welcome the travellers at 1pm.

This report was produced under the Public Interest Journalism initiative, funded by NZ on Air.