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Story: Religion and society

Funeral of Toko Rātana, 1944

Video file

Prime Minister Peter Fraser and fellow members of the Cabinet pay their respects to MP Toko Rātana at Rātana , near Whanganui, in November 1944. Rātana had succeeded his father, T. W. Rātana, as leader of the Rātana church and had been the member of Parliament for Western Māori since 1935. Toko Rātana had led the discussions with Labour Party leader Harry Holland in 1931 which resulted in the Rātana candidates becoming associates of the party.

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Archives New Zealand - Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga

Reference: Weekly Review 168. National Film Unit, 1944

Permission of Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga must be obtained before any re-use of this material.

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How to cite this page

John Stenhouse, Religion and society – Religion and politics, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/video/28410/funeral-of-toko-ratana-1944 (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by John Stenhouse, published 23 March 2011.