Matiu Rātana (16 December 1912 – 7 October 1949), son of Tahupotiki Wiremu Rātana, was a New Zealand politician and president of the Rātana Church.
Political career
| Years | Term | Electorate | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1945–1946 | 27th | Western Maori | Labour | ||
| 1946–1949 | 28th | Western Maori | Labour | ||
A younger brother to Haami Tokouru Rātana he succeeded to the Church Presidency, and to the Western Maori electorate (from 10 February 1945, after a by-election) after his brother's death in 1944.[1]
Matiu Rātana died on 7 October 1949 in Wanganui Hospital after a car accident. He was succeeded by his wife Iriaka Rātana as MP.[1] She was the first female Māori MP.
Sources
- Henderson, James Mcleod (1963). Ratana The Man, The Church, The Movement (1st ed.) A.H & A.W. Reed Ltd ISBN 0-589-00619-3.