DEATH OF MAORI PROPHET

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 33, 23 February 1937, Page 13

DEATH OF MAORI PROPHET

Telegraph— Press

9 1 Imgi at Maungapohatu For Rua . MANA HAD WANED

fcBy

Associaiion.)

ROTORUA, Last Night. Bna, the noted Maori prophet, died on Saturday at Matahi, on the- Waimana river. He was aged 65 years. , The body was subsequently taken toi [Maungapohatu where a big tangi is! jnow in progress and will continue for' ltW6 0 r three daya. Rua hau not been in the Hmelight soj much of late, his mana amongst thej iMaoris having waned in xeeent years) lalthough he still had a small followingj for hiB "Ringatu" teligion. At thej height of Ms religious fame he claimed) that if fired at, the bullet would be de-l 'fiCcted from his body and that he could j walk upon water as did Jesus Christ,; and such like. He established his paj' at Maungapohatu amidst the pristinoj splendour of the rugged Urewora coun-j try and seldom ventured far from its precinctB. There is no road to this' native villagej only bush traeks. At) one time" he had 13 wives but the 'number had been considerably reduced of late years, the younger ones, it is reported, leaving him. Rua came in the forefront of the news in 19i5 when a police constable tried to effeet his arrest on & charge of siy-grogging. Rua resisted so an armed force mT 42 police was sdttt in under Commissioner Cullen. The party was ambushed and in the fighting one of Rua's sons was killed and some of the . police injuTed. Finally Rua was atrestod and taken to Rotorua and arraigned on scveral eharges s a result of the incident. He was sentenced to 18 months' gaoi on the charge of resistiug arrest. j