Colonisation by the European had a great impact on the Tuhoe people of the east coast of the north Island, as it lead to a significant loss of traditional land. The Maori prophet Rua Kenana realised to improve the position of Maori in colonial New Zealand they needed unity through a common belief . His movement, the Iharaira, combined with biblical teachings, would be that “common belief”. In response to colonisation and land loss Rua Kenana applied biblical beliefs to the Maori situation. This he thought would enable Maori to come to grips with the changing world. There were three ways that he used the bible to achieve this. Firstly, he used the bible (Old Testament) to show that Maori were similar to the Israelites. Secondly, the bible was used to create a “New Jerusalem” a Maori refugee. Finally, he used it to predict a Millennium, a golden age for Maori. The way that he applied, the bible to the Maori situation made his followers believe they were Israelites not Maori.
In 1872, the Crown confiscated 211,000 acres of land from Tuhoe and surrounding tribes . Later on 500 acres was restored , so Tuhoe in effect became a landless tribe. From the turmoil and land loss, the prophet Rua Kenana arose and, applied the bible as a response to their situation. He believed that he had some connection to Moses , as like Moses, he answered the call of god “if your wish is for me to save my people, I won’t help, but if it is to save the land, then I will carry out the task”. He believed that his followers were Israelites , because of the commonalities in the pain and suffering his followers shared with the Israelites , to justify this he used the bible: “O God, if our hearts arise from the land in which we now dwell as slaves.... do not Thou, O God, cause us to be wholly destroyed” . Because of this, His followers took the name Iharaira (Israelites). By using the bible to describe his followers as Israelites, he justified their situation. The Tuhoe were now a people...