Quote by Papahurihia: “Those who believe in the Atua Wera will be saved from the Pākehā.”

This central prophecy from Papahurihia promised divine protection and salvation from European encroachment to those who embraced his indigenous spiritual path. It offered hope and a rallying point for resistance against colonial power.

As Māori faced increasing pressure from European settlers and the spread of Christianity, Papahurihia’s teachings provided a spiritual framework for resistance and cultural preservation, promising divine intervention against foreign influence.

Māori tohupu (religious leader and prophet) active in northern New Zealand in the 1830s who founded the Pai Mārire precursor movement and blended Christian and traditional Māori beliefs into a new religious and political tradition. He was among the earliest Māori voices to articulate a theology of indigenous land sovereignty against European settlement.