Whakataukī  

 Ma pango ma whero, ka oti te mahi 

With black and with red the work is completed. 

INTRODUCTION

The Māori words for flag are ‘kara’, from ‘colour’, or ‘haki’, from ‘Jack’ – an abbreviation of ‘Union Jack’. Missionaries introduced flags to Māori, and some Māori villages flew flags on Sundays. From the 1830s flags were often flown on hākari stages, which were built to display feasts. 

Source: Ngā haki – Māori and flags, Te Ara — The Encyclopedia of New Zealand.

CONTENTS

• Pai Māririe — Te Ua Haumēne
•  The Hauhau flagpole or nui  
• Ringatū — Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Tūruki
• Maungamoria Church (Chruch of the Seven Rules of Jehovah)
• Pāora Te Pōtangaroa — Pāora Te Pōtangaroa 
• Te Hāhi o Te Wairua Tapu ( The Church of the Holy Spirit) — Mere Rikiriki
• City of God at Maungapōhatu — Rua Kēnana
• Rātana Church — Te Haahi Rātana
• Famous Māori flags
• Māori "rebel" flags 

Pai Mārire — Te Ua Haumēne

Te Ua Haumēne was the leader of the Pai Mārire faith, followers of which were sometimes known as Hauhau. He had a flag called Kēnana (Canaan), demonstrating his belief that Māori were related to the Jews. The five apostles of the movement each had their own flag, including leaders such as Tītokowaru and Topia Tūroa. The standard flag of Pai Mārire is reputed to be the largest flag ever flown in New Zealand, at almost 7 metres long by 3.7 metres high. On the flag was a life-sized image of Te Matairenga, the Māori god of war. 

Source:  Māori religious movements and flags —  Ngā haki – Māori and flags, Te Ara — The Encyclopedia of New Zealand.

The Hauhau flagpole or nui 

Central to Hauhau ceremonies was the use of the niu (news) pole. A 30-foot-high (just over 9 metres) staff was erected in the middle of an open space. On the flagpole three flags were flown:

• Riki, a long red pennant with a white cross, which was regarded as the war flag
• the flag of the prophet, apostle or priest who was conducting the ceremony
• Ruru, another red pennant, broader than the upper one, with a St Andrew’s cross and another design, which was the flag of peace.

Source: Māori religious movements and flags —  Ngā haki – Māori and flags, Te Ara — The Encyclopedia of New Zealand.

The relative positions of 'Ruru' and 'Riki' on the Niu pole were believed to indicate whether the spirit behind the gathering was peaceful or hostile. 

Source: NZ war flags — New Zealand's 19th-century wars, NZHistory. 

Ringatū—Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Tūruki

Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Tūruki, the founder of another Māori religious movement, Ringatū, believed in the power of flags and was known to have changed the design of flags depending on his success or otherwise in battle. His most famous flag was called Te Wepu (the whip), which measured 15.8 metres by 1.2 metres. It had been made by nuns at Greenmeadows mission school for the chiefs of Ngāti Kahungunu. Te Kooti captured the ensign in 1868, and held it until 1870 when it was taken by Captain Gilbert Mair at Rotorua. Another two of Te Kooti’s flags were seized at Te Pōrere and Tāpapa, north of Putaruru. 

Source:  Māori religious movements and flags — Ngā haki – Māori and flags, Te Ara — The Encyclopedia of New Zealand.  

The war flag with religious symbols

This is Te Kooti’s war flag. The meaning of the symbols on it has been much debated. The letters ‘WI’ probably stand for the Holy Spirit, Wairua Tapu. The crescent moon is a tohu (portent) of a new world; the red cross is the fighting cross of the Archangel Michael, who appeared to Te Kooti in a vision in the 1850s. The moon and cross reiterate the first two elements of Te Wepu, a flag which Te Kooti captured from Ngāti Kahungunu in 1868. 

Source: Te Kooti's war flag — Images and Media, NZHistory. 

Te Wepu (The Whip)

This is a drawing of the battle flag of prophet and military leader Te Kooti. It is known as Te Wepu (the whip) and was 15.8 metres wide and 1.2 metres high. It was made by nuns from Greenmeadows, Napier, for Ngāti Kahungunu. Te Kooti captured it from the tribe in 1868. It was subsequently captured from Te Kooti by Captain Gilbert Mair in 1870. Mair gifted it to a museum, which cut it up for use as dusters.

There are various interpretations of the symbols. One interpretation is that the crescent moon is a portent of a new world, while the red cross is the fighting cross of the Archangel Michael. Another interpretation is that the crescent moon represented the Old Testament and the cross the New Testament. The mountain has been interpreted as representing New Zealand, while the bleeding heart represents the suffering of the Māori people.

Source: Ringatū flags: Te Wepu (1st of 2) — Ngā haki – Māori and flags, Te Ara — The Encyclopedia of New Zealand.

 Maungamoria Church (Church of the Seven Rules of Jehovah) — Pāora Te Pōtangaroa

Pāora Te Pōtangaroa, a prophet from Wairarapa in the 1880s, created a prophetic flag, which featured a number of symbols. He called people together in 1881, and thousands arrived. However, no one could interpret the flag at the time. 

Source: Māori religious movements and flags — Ngā haki – Māori and flags, Te Ara — The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. 

In 1881 Paora announced that he had experienced a prophetic dream; he called his people together to interpret his vision. On 16 March 1881 the gathering awaited Paora's prophetic utterance. About 1 p.m. he emerged from Wi Waaka's house and presented his revelation in the form of a flag divided into sections, each bordered in black. Within each section were stars and other mystical symbols...

Several weeks later Paora emerged from seclusion to make a declaration to his followers: in future they should neither sell nor lease land, should incur no further debts and refuse to honour debts already incurred. The meaning of at least part of his flag now became apparent. The black-bordered sections of the flag represented the huge blocks of land already alienated. The stars and other symbols represented the inadequate and scattered reserves, the sole remainder of a once great patrimony. Paora had been moved to prophecy by the failure of his people to understand the process by which they were dispossessing themselves.

Source: Te Potangaroa, Paora, Te Ara — The Encyclopedia of New Zealand.

Te Hāhi O Te Wairua Tapu (the Church of the Holy Spirit) — Mere rikiriki

Mere Rikiriki of Ngāti Apa led Te Hāhi O Te Wairua Tapu (the Church of the Holy Spirit) in the early 1900s. Rikiriki had her flag gifted to her by King Tāwhiao, who recognised her spiritual power. The white flag bears stars and contains the words ‘E te iwi, kia ora’ (blessings to the people). 

Source: Māori religious movements and flags — Ngā haki – Māori and flags, Te Ara — The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Mere Rikiriki's influence and mana is demonstrated by King Tāwhiao's presentation to her of the flag 'E Te Iwi Kia Ora'; this was a prized taonga (treasure) with significant markings known as Te Paki o Matariki, including two mere crossed in the foreground.

Source: Rikiriki, Ātareta Kāwana Rōpiha Mere, Te Ara — The Encyclopedia of New Zealand.

City of God at Maungapōhatu — Rua Kēnana

Prophet Rua Kēnana of Ngāi Tuhoe continued the use of flags in Māori religious movements in the 20th century. One flag was a large Union Jack, which had been gifted to Tūtakangahau of Maungapōhatu by the governor in 1904. Rua had the words ‘Kotahi te ture mo nga iwi e Rua Maungapohatu’ (there is one law for both peoples) inscribed on the ensign to symbolise a relationship with Premier Joseph Ward and Rua’s acceptance of the authority the government had over native lands. Two of Rua’s other flags were Te Tahi o Te Rangi, which was named after one of his ancestors from Tūhoe who was considered to have performed miracles, and Te Wairua Kino, a black flag that warned of hostile visitors. 

Source: Māori religious movements and flags — Ngā haki – Māori and flags, Te Ara — The Encyclopedia of New Zealand.

Rātana Church – Te Haahi Rātana

Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana was born in 1873 at Te Kawau, near Bulls. After he finished school, he worked on his family’s farm. In 1918 his son Ōmeka became very ill. Rātana fasted and prayed. He had a vision that he should unite his people and free them from old superstitions. His son recovered, and Rātana’s reputation as a healer began to spread.  

 In 1928 Te Temepara Tapu o Ihoa (the holy temple of Jehovah) was opened at Rātana Pā by a Japanese bishop, Juji Nakada. By then Rātana had around 20,000 followers. They were called ‘ngā mōrehu’ (the scattered remnant) and came from many different tribes. 

Source: Rātana Church – Te Haahi Rātana, Te Ara — The Encyclopedia of New Zealand.

Other famous Māori flags

 Māori "rebel" flags

This story was curated and compiled by Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa | National Library of New Zealand, Services to Schools staff, 2020.