This is the seal of the Ringatū Church, founded by Te Kooti. It was devised by the secretary of the church, Robert Biddle, in 1926, and shows upraised hands (ringa tū). Around the centre is written, 'Te Ture a te Atua me te Whakapono o Ihu' (the law of God and the truth of Jesus). 'Wharekauri 67' refers to the beginning of the faith in the Chatham Islands (Wharekauri is the Māori name for the islands) in 1867. On the right 'Wainui 26' refers to land of Te Wainui gifted to Ringatū Church trustees in 1926. The eagle at top is a reference to Deuteronomy 32: 11–12 in the Bible.
Using this item
The Journal of the Polynesian Society
This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.
Add new comment