Eruera Tirikatene
Encyclopedia
Sir Eruera Tihema Te Aika Tirikatene, KCMG
(5 January 1895 – 11 January 1967) was a New Zealand
Māori politician of the Ngai Tahu
tribe. Known in early life as Edward James Te Aika Tregerthen, he was the first Ratana
Member of Parliament and was elected in a by-election for Southern Maori
in June 1932
after the death of Tuiti Makitanara
.
He remained the MP until his death in 1967, when his daughter Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan
succeeded to the seat, also in a by-election.
In 1919, he was married to Ruti Matekino Solomon and the couple went on to have twelve children. In the same year, he settled on a small farm near Kaiapoi, where he also set up a dairy farm, a saw mill, a fishing fleet and a ferry service.
By 1921 he visited Ratana pā, and T. W. Ratana
, the spiritual leader or Te Mangai of Ratana predicted an important role for him. Te Mangai persuaded him to stay, and with his practical skills, served the movement by taking charge of harvesting of the Ratana lands.
and 1931 elections
, being defeated narrowly in both. In 1928 he and most of his extended family spent the election at Ratana Pa helping with the wheat harvest. At this time there were few provisions for absentee voting, and unable to even vote for himself, Tirikatene lost the election by one vote.
In June 1932, the sitting MP for Southern Maori
, Tuiti Makitanara
died suddenly and Eruera won the by-election to become the first Ratana MP. Tirikatene contained to represent his electorate until his death in January 1967.
one of his major aims, presenting a petition with over 30,000 signatures. The petition from the Ratana morehu was held over for thirteen years before being virtually ignored, but Tirikatane continued to raise the Treaty issue in debates.
During the depression of that time, Māori were expected to subsist from their land, and were not given equal access to unemployment payments and relief work. Proving entitlement to the old age pension was also more difficult for Māori, as Māori did not have to register births until 1919. Tirikatene spoke out against this discrimination in social welfare which caused poverty to Māori and the removal of this inequality by the Labour Government strengthened the Labour and Ratana bond.
Following the Ratana-Labour alliance, Tirikatene became the First President of the Labour Party Māori Advisory Council, a committee to set Māori policy for the party. During the Second World War, Tirikatene set up and led the Māori War Effort Organisation. The experience of Māori running their own affairs led him to introduce the Māori Social and Economic Advancement Act of 1945, but it did not give the independence for iwi
he had hoped for.
Between 1946 and 1949, Tirikatene was involved in land claim settlements for Waikato—Maniapoto and Taranaki. He persuaded the Ngai Tahu to accept the Ngaitahu Claim Settlement Act of 1944 and became president of the Ngaitahu Trust Board.
After a period in opposition, he was appointed Minister of Forests, and Minister in charge of Printing and Stationery. Tirikatene was expecting Māori Affairs, which was taken by Prime Minister Walter Nash
. The two often clashed, with Tirikatene wanting greater autonomy for Māori. One achievement of this period was the official recognition of Waitangi Day
through the Waitangi Day Act
1960, commemorating the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi
.
Tirikatene continued committee work while in opposition after 1960, and remained an MP until his death. He was succeeded in the seat by his daughter, Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan
.
. Within the Ratana movement, he was known as Te Omeka.
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(5 January 1895 – 11 January 1967) was a New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
Māori politician of the Ngai Tahu
Ngai Tahu
Ngāi Tahu, or Kāi Tahu, is the principal Māori iwi of the southern region of New Zealand, with the tribal authority, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, being based in Christchurch and Invercargill. The iwi combines three groups, Kāi Tahu itself, and Waitaha and Kāti Mamoe who lived in the South Island prior...
tribe. Known in early life as Edward James Te Aika Tregerthen, he was the first Ratana
Ratana
The Rātana movement is a Māori religion and pan-tribal political movement founded by Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana in early 20th century New Zealand...
Member of Parliament and was elected in a by-election for Southern Maori
Southern Maori
Southern Maori was one of the four original New Zealand Parliamentary Māori electorates, from 1868 to 1996.-Population centres:The electorate includes the following population centres:* -Tribal Areas:...
in June 1932
Southern Māori by-election, 1932
The Southern Maori by-election of 1932 was a by-election during the 24th New Zealand Parliament. The election was held on 3 August 1932.The seat of Southern Maori became vacant following the death of the sitting member Tuiti Makitanara....
after the death of Tuiti Makitanara
Tuiti Makitanara
Tuiti Makitanara was a Māori and United Party Member of Parliament in New Zealand.He won the Southern Maori seat in 1928, and died in 1932.The United Party was a continuation of the historical Liberal Party.-References:...
.
He remained the MP until his death in 1967, when his daughter Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan
Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan
Tini "Whetu" Marama Tirikatene-Sullivan, ONZ was a New Zealand politician. She was an MP from 1967 to 1996, representing the Labour Party. At the time of her retirement, she was the second longest-serving MP in Parliament, being in her tenth term of office...
succeeded to the seat, also in a by-election.
Early life
After education at St Stephen's Anglican Church, Tirikatene worked on farms before enlisting in 1914 for the First World War. He served three years with the New Zealand Māori (Pioneer) Battalion, reaching the rank of sergeant and commended for carrying a wounded soldier while under fire.In 1919, he was married to Ruti Matekino Solomon and the couple went on to have twelve children. In the same year, he settled on a small farm near Kaiapoi, where he also set up a dairy farm, a saw mill, a fishing fleet and a ferry service.
By 1921 he visited Ratana pā, and T. W. Ratana
T. W. Ratana
Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana was the founder of the Rātana religion in the early 20th century in New Zealand. He rose to prominence as a faith healer.-Beginnings:...
, the spiritual leader or Te Mangai of Ratana predicted an important role for him. Te Mangai persuaded him to stay, and with his practical skills, served the movement by taking charge of harvesting of the Ratana lands.
Election to Parliament
As the Ratana movement developed into a political movement, Eruera Tirikatene became a leader in the internal political council and stood for parliament in the 1928New Zealand general election, 1928
The New Zealand general election of 1928 was held on Tuesday, 13 November in the Māori electorates, and on Wednesday, 14 November in the general electorates to elect a total of 80 MPs to the 23rd session of the New Zealand Parliament...
and 1931 elections
New Zealand general election, 1931
The 1931 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 24th term. It resulted in the newly formed coalition between the United Party and the Reform Party remaining in office as the Liberal-Reform Government, although the opposition Labour...
, being defeated narrowly in both. In 1928 he and most of his extended family spent the election at Ratana Pa helping with the wheat harvest. At this time there were few provisions for absentee voting, and unable to even vote for himself, Tirikatene lost the election by one vote.
In June 1932, the sitting MP for Southern Maori
Southern Maori
Southern Maori was one of the four original New Zealand Parliamentary Māori electorates, from 1868 to 1996.-Population centres:The electorate includes the following population centres:* -Tribal Areas:...
, Tuiti Makitanara
Tuiti Makitanara
Tuiti Makitanara was a Māori and United Party Member of Parliament in New Zealand.He won the Southern Maori seat in 1928, and died in 1932.The United Party was a continuation of the historical Liberal Party.-References:...
died suddenly and Eruera won the by-election to become the first Ratana MP. Tirikatene contained to represent his electorate until his death in January 1967.
Member of Parliament
From his maiden speech, Tirikatene made recognition of the Treaty of WaitangiTreaty of Waitangi
The Treaty of Waitangi is a treaty first signed on 6 February 1840 by representatives of the British Crown and various Māori chiefs from the North Island of New Zealand....
one of his major aims, presenting a petition with over 30,000 signatures. The petition from the Ratana morehu was held over for thirteen years before being virtually ignored, but Tirikatane continued to raise the Treaty issue in debates.
During the depression of that time, Māori were expected to subsist from their land, and were not given equal access to unemployment payments and relief work. Proving entitlement to the old age pension was also more difficult for Māori, as Māori did not have to register births until 1919. Tirikatene spoke out against this discrimination in social welfare which caused poverty to Māori and the removal of this inequality by the Labour Government strengthened the Labour and Ratana bond.
Following the Ratana-Labour alliance, Tirikatene became the First President of the Labour Party Māori Advisory Council, a committee to set Māori policy for the party. During the Second World War, Tirikatene set up and led the Māori War Effort Organisation. The experience of Māori running their own affairs led him to introduce the Māori Social and Economic Advancement Act of 1945, but it did not give the independence for iwi
Iwi
In New Zealand society, iwi form the largest everyday social units in Māori culture. The word iwi means "'peoples' or 'nations'. In "the work of European writers which treat iwi and hapū as parts of a hierarchical structure", it has been used to mean "tribe" , or confederation of tribes,...
he had hoped for.
Between 1946 and 1949, Tirikatene was involved in land claim settlements for Waikato—Maniapoto and Taranaki. He persuaded the Ngai Tahu to accept the Ngaitahu Claim Settlement Act of 1944 and became president of the Ngaitahu Trust Board.
After a period in opposition, he was appointed Minister of Forests, and Minister in charge of Printing and Stationery. Tirikatene was expecting Māori Affairs, which was taken by Prime Minister Walter Nash
Walter Nash
Sir Walter Nash, GCMG, CH served as the 27th Prime Minister of New Zealand in the Second Labour Government from 1957 to 1960, and was also highly influential in his role as Minister of Finance...
. The two often clashed, with Tirikatene wanting greater autonomy for Māori. One achievement of this period was the official recognition of Waitangi Day
Waitangi Day
Waitangi Day commemorates a significant day in the history of New Zealand. It is a public holiday held each year on 6 February to celebrate the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, New Zealand's founding document, on that date in 1840.-History:...
through the Waitangi Day Act
Waitangi Day Act
There have been two Waitangi Day Acts passed by the New Zealand Parliament: the Waitangi Day Act 1960 and the Waitangi Day Act 1976. Neither made the sixth of February a public holiday; this was done by the New Zealand Day Act 1973. The first Waitangi Day Act was a token gesture towards...
1960, commemorating the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi
Treaty of Waitangi
The Treaty of Waitangi is a treaty first signed on 6 February 1840 by representatives of the British Crown and various Māori chiefs from the North Island of New Zealand....
.
Tirikatene continued committee work while in opposition after 1960, and remained an MP until his death. He was succeeded in the seat by his daughter, Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan
Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan
Tini "Whetu" Marama Tirikatene-Sullivan, ONZ was a New Zealand politician. She was an MP from 1967 to 1996, representing the Labour Party. At the time of her retirement, she was the second longest-serving MP in Parliament, being in her tenth term of office...
.
Recognition
Tirikatene was knighted in June 1960 as a Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint GeorgeOrder of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
. Within the Ratana movement, he was known as Te Omeka.