An exhibition commemorating Tuhoe Prophet Rua Kenana (1869-1937): A Man for Our Times
In March, five years after his pardon by Government we are excited honour one of the great Tūhoe leaders, the Prophet Rua Kenana (1869–1937) with an exhibition titled From the Land: For the Land – The Rua Panels. Rua’s story is one of a visionary leader, faith healer and land rights activist who worked to restore the mana of his people, resisting threats to expel Tūhoe from their ancestral lands. Rua formed a non-violent religious community at Maungapōhatu, the sacred mountain of Ngāi Tūhoe, in the Urewera. The community, also known as New Jerusalem, included a farming cooperative and a savings bank with a thriving population of 1000 people.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyZTc73_pBg
- 10 panel mural by artist Tony Johnston, 20 metres long in the form of an allegory based on the life of Rua Kenana, a Tuhoe visionary and prophet
- Accompanying text written by the writer, the late Roderick Finlayson
- Previously housed in Manakau City Council Chambers and not previously exhibited in public, on loan from Auckland Council
In March, five years after his pardon by Government we are excited honour one of the great Tūhoe leaders, the Prophet Rua Kenana (1869–1937) with an exhibition titled From the Land: For the Land – The Rua Panels. Rua’s story is one of a visionary leader, faith healer and land rights activist who worked to restore the mana of his people, resisting threats to expel Tūhoe from their ancestral lands. Rua formed a non-violent religious community at Maungapōhatu, the sacred mountain of Ngāi Tūhoe, in the Urewera. The community, also known as New Jerusalem, included a farming cooperative and a savings bank with a thriving population of 1000 people.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyZTc73_pBg
Our grateful thanks to the following sponsors of this exhibition
