Iriaka Matiu Ratana
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Iriaka Matiu Rātana OBE |
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| Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Western Maori |
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In office 1949 – 1969 |
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| Preceded by | Matiu Ratana |
| Succeeded by | Koro Wētere |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
25 February 1905 Hiruharama, New Zealand |
| Died | 21 December 1981 (aged 76) Wanganui, New Zealand |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouse(s) | Matiu Ratana |
Iriaka Matiu Rātana OBE (25 February 1905 – 21 December 1981) was a New Zealand politician and Rātana who won the Western Maori electorate for Labour in 1949. She succeeded her husband Matiu Rātana to become the first woman to represent Maori in the New Zealand parliament. She held the electorate until her retirement in 1969.
An entertainer from an early age, she was a member of the Rātana haka, poi, and waiata groups and travelled with them throughout New Zealand and overseas. In 1925, she married Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana to become his second wife and had two children. Hamuera, the oldest died from tuberculosis in 1934, and the second, Raniera Te Aohou Ratana later became head of the Rātana church.
Following her husband's death in 1939, Rātana married Matiu Rātana, a son of T. W. Rātana. The couple farmed until the death in 1945 of Matiu's elder brother, Haami Tokouru Rātana who was Member of Parliament (MP) for the Māori seat of Western Maori. Matiu Rātana was elected in the 1945 election and held the seat until his accidental death in 1949.
Iriaka Rātana's decision to stand for parliament was opposed by those supporting traditional leadership roles, with Te Puea Herangi speaking out against her claim to "captain the Tainui canoe". Only the strong backing of the Rātana church and her threat to stand as a Rātana Independent secured her the Labour Party nomination.
She won the Western Maori electorate for Labour in the 1949 general election. She succeeded her husband Matiu Ratana to become the first woman to represent Maori in the New Zealand parliament. She got a similar majority (6317) to her husband in 1946 (his majority was 6491), but no less than seven independent candidates stood against her; they got 116 to 326 votes each.
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