Ratana youth grow skills and abilities

O'Shae Pardoe was watching as Ratana bands led the faithful into the temepara on January 25. PHOTO/ BEVAN CONLEY

The Ratana Church is preparing for an important celebration on November 8 next year and young people will be part of that, Ratana Morehu Youth Movement leader Hawea Meihana says.

The Te Waru o Noema celebration will mark 100 years since church founder and prophet Tahupotiki Wiremu Ratana received the wairua tapu (holy spirit) in 1918.

The church has 75,000 registered morehu (followers), and a good percentage of them are young people (rangatahi). The Ratana 25th Celebrations have traditionally focused on them, and Mr Meihana would like that focus to strengthen.

He said the Ratana Morehu Youth Movement was started by Maata "Te Reo" Hura, a former church tumuaki (president). For the last three years it's been revving up, ahead of the November 8 celebrations.

Young people come to the January 25th celebrations at Ratana Pa to get a fresh dose of faith and knowledge, ahead of a new year. They also want to meet others and have fun.

This year they had their own "rangatahi village" with a stage and a marquee to use as a "chill out" area - "for rangatahi, by rangatahi and just to be rangatahi".

Ratana youth joined with their traditional partners, youth from the Kingitanga (Maori King movement), to organise music, entertainment, discos and sport for themselves. They also organised the celebration's main act, singer and television presenter Ria Hall.

One of their activities was an "amazing race". The aim was to find out what they didn't know about the maramatanga (enlightenment), and what to teach them next.

The rangatahi seized on any opportunity to contribute, and their experience will help ensure the Ratana tradition continues.

"The last thing we want is for all our pakeke (adults) to die off, and we step into the role and don't know what to do," Mr Meihana said.