   sir Äpirana turupa ngata (3 july 1874 â 14 july 1950) was a prominent new zealand politician and lawyer. he has often been described as the foremost mÄori politician to have ever served in parliament, and is also known for his work in promoting and protecting mÄori culture and language. ==early life== one of 15 children, ngata was born in te araroa (then called kawakawa), a small coastal town about 175 kilometres north of gisborne, new zealand. his iwi was ngÄti porou. his father was paratene ngata, a tribal leader and expert in traditional lore, and his mother was katerina naki, the daughter of an itinerant scot, abel knox. ngata was greatly influenced both by his father and by his great-uncle ropata wahawaha (who had led loyal kupapa ngÄti porou forces against their pai mÄrire enemy (commonly known as hauhau) in the east cape war and later te kooti's escapees from the chatham islands.)redemption songs.r. binney. pp 195-203. ngata was raised in a mÄori environment, speaking the mÄori language, but his father also ensured that ngata learned about the pÄkehÄ world, believing that this understanding would be of benefit to ngÄti porou. ngata attended primary school in waiomatatini befor
1874_births 1950_deaths Knights_Bachelor Members_of_the_Cabinet_of_New_Zealand Members_of_the_New_Zealand_House_of_Representatives Members_of_the_New_Zealand_Legislative_Council MAori_MLCs MAori_MPs MAori_culture MAori_language New_Zealand_Liberal_Party_MPs New_Zealand_MPs_for_MAori_electorates New_Zealand_MAori_lawyers New_Zealand_knights New_Zealand_lawyers New_Zealand_people_of_World_War_I New_Zealand_people_of_World_War_II NgAti_Porou People_educated_at_Te_Aute_College People_from_the_Gisborne_District United_Party_(New_Zealand)_MPs University_of_Auckland_alumni University_of_Canterbury_alumni Unsuccessful_candidates_in_the_New_Zealand_general_election,_1943 Unsuccessful_candidates_in_the_New_Zealand_general_election,_1946