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Story: Ngā māngai – Māori representation

First Māori MPs: Frederick Nene Russell

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First Māori MPs: Frederick Nene Russell

Frederick Nene Russell was the son of a Hokianga timber trader and his Māori second wife, Herina Tuku. In 1868 the Hokianga prophet Āperahama Taonui was chosen by northern chiefs to become the region's first Māori MP. However, Taonui refused to campaign and Frederick Nene Russell was elected unopposed.

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Hokianga History and Memorabilia

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How to cite this page

Rawiri Taonui, Ngā māngai – Māori representation – Representation in Parliament, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/37399/first-maori-mps-frederick-nene-russell (accessed 25 June 2026).

Story by Rawiri Taonui, published 5 June 2012, updated 15 July 2016.