Quote by Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Tūruki: “Hold fast to the covenant of God and the land of your ancestors.”

This directive emphasizes the dual importance of spiritual faith and ancestral land rights for Māori survival and identity. It urges followers to remain steadfast in their cultural and spiritual heritage against encroaching colonial pressures.

As the Ringatū faith gained traction, Te Kooti's teachings blended Christian scripture with Māori traditions, advocating for spiritual and territorial sovereignty against ongoing land confiscations by the New Zealand government.

Māori religious prophet and military leader who founded the Ringatū faith in New Zealand in the 1860s while imprisoned without trial on the Chatham Islands by the colonial government. After escaping, he led a guerrilla campaign before receiving a pardon in 1883. He is a complex and contested figure in New Zealand history.