Matiu Rata

Matiu Rata (1934–1997) was a Māori politician and union leader who represented Northern Māori in the New Zealand Parliament from 1963 to 1980. As Minister of Māori Affairs and Lands from 1972 to 1975, he advanced Māori housing, education, language, and cultural initiatives and helped establish the Waitangi Tribunal. After leaving Labour, he founded the Mana Motuhake movement, which focused on Māori political rights and self-determination.