Trial of Rua Kēnana

Why was Rua Kēnana arrested?

The government was suspicious of Rua, and the Tohunga Suppression Act 1907 was aimed mainly at him. When the First World War broke out, he was accused of sedition because he had pacifist beliefs and opposed conscription of Māori into the armed forces. The government harassed Rua, using liquor laws to arrest him for selling illicit alcohol at Maungapōhatu. He refused to attend court, claiming he was busy with a harvest. Later he declined to accompany policemen who came to arrest him.

Source: 'Rua Kēnana', URL: https://nzhistory.govt.nz/people/rua-kenana, (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 8-Nov-2017

The day of the arrest — 2 April 1916

Rua was arrested at Maungapohatu by an armed force of 57 constables sent secretly from Auckland and two smaller contingents from Gisborne and Whakatane. He was seized on the marae, where he was standing unarmed, accompanied by Whatu and Toko, waiting to greet the police. At the same moment, a shot was fired. In the ensuing mêlée two Maori were killed, one of whom was Toko. 

Source: Judith Binney. 'Rua Kenana Hepetipa', Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, first published in 1996. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/3r32/rua-kenana-hepetipa (accessed 7 February 2020)

Trial and sentencing of Rua Kēnana 

Rua’s trial in the Supreme Court was one of the longest in New Zealand history.

Source:  'Rua Kēnana', URL: https://nzhistory.govt.nz/people/rua-kenana, (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 8-Nov-2017 

Tried: 17 October 1916, Auckland Supreme Court

Charges: Sedition, resisting police, counselling persons to murder, counselling persons to discharge arms with intent to resist lawful apprehension, counselling persons to wound, counselling persons to assault police, counselling persons to do bodily harm

Sentences: Acquitted of sedition, one year’s imprisonment and 18 months’ reformative detention for resisting police; the jury disagreed on the other charges and they were dismissed by the court

Source: Rua Kēnana, resisting police', URL: https://nzhistory.govt.nz/media/photo/rua-kenana-resisting-police, (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 10-Jul-2018

Judge Fredrick Chapman 

His sentencing of the Maori leader Rua Kēnana was criticised as being unnecessarily punitive; eight of the jurors protested in a petition to Parliament. 

Source: Peter Spiller. 'Chapman, Frederick Revans', Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, first published in 1996. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/3c10/chapman-frederick-revans (accessed 2 February 2020)

John Cullen 

In support of Rua Kēnana

A pardon long overdue

More than 100 years later the Crown acknowledged its wrongs and pardons Tūhoe pacifist  Rua Kēnana.