The Rātana church tumuaki was welcomed to Waitangi yesterday, along with the Kīngitanga, for the first time.
Manuao Te Kohamutunga Tamou and Rātana Church mōrehu entered the Waitangi grounds as requested by NZ First minister Shane Jones during the Rātana celebrations two weeks ago.
However, now that the tumuaki had arrived, Rātana spokesperson Te Taepa Kāmeta said Shane Jones was nowhere to be found.
“When you put a tono out like that on our marae, make sure you be here to welcome your tumuaki, Shane,”he told the gathering.
During the pōwhiri Kāmeta spoke on behalf of the Rātana Church to pronounce its arrival at Waitangi. In his whaikōrero Kāmeta said”: Shane, kei hea koe? Nāu te tono, nāu te tono i whakatakoto ki runga ki ahau. Mehemea he kōrero Tiriti o Waitangi, haere mai ki Waitangi, kua tae mai tō tumuaki, i runga i te aroha mō tēnei mea Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
(Shane, where are you? It was at your request, your request that you laid out in front of me. If there are any questions on Te Tiriti o Waitangi, come to Waitangi, your leader has arrived out of love for Te Tiriti.)
Rātana on Jones request
“I know what he meant about come to Waitangi, to discuss all the matters pertaining to Te Tiriti o Waitangi,” Kāmeta says.
However, in an interview with Te Ao News, Kāmeta talked to the relationship the church had with both NZ First ministers.
“We have a good relationship with Shane, not only Shane but also Winston, who have provided for Rātana Pā in particular over the years,” he said.
This is the first time a tumuaki of the church has been welcomed on to the Waitangi grounds, since the days of Rātana Church founder Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana.
“Ka mau te wehi te whakaeke mai ki runga ki tēnei papa o tātou”
(It was an awesome experience being welcomed on to this land of ours, Kāmeta said.)