Rua Kēnana and his family

A DigitalNZ Story by Janice

A selection of images, articles and video on Rua Kēnana and his whanau (family).

Rua Kēnana, Maugapōhatu

Image: Pinepine Te Rika and child, 1916

Pinepine Te Rika and child, 1916

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

PINEPINE TE RIKA

With his first wife, Pinepine, from Ngati Kuri of Ruatahuna, he had (according to their eldest grandson) 17 children. She was known as 'our Holy Mother', because she had shared the vision on the mountain.  

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)

By April 1908 Rua had seven wives, fulfilling, as he said, the vision of Isaiah 4:1. 

Ultimately he married 12 women. They came from Tuhoe, and from Ngati Raka, who lived mingled with Tuhoe. 

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 3 February 2020)

Image: Rua Kenana, with Te Akakura and another

Rua Kenana, with Te Akakura and another

Alexander Turnbull Library

Nika Rua (Great-grandson of Rua) as a part of the  Rua Kēnana Pardon Bill