According to Pouroto Ngaropo, in 1868 the leader of the Ringatu Faith, Te Kooti, prophesied a child would come from the east to unite the tribes of Ngati Awa, Tuwharetoa and Ngati Rangitihi. The Ngati Awa deputy chairman said the child would hold the knowledge of the ancestors and have the ability to heal the land, restore the wellbeing of the people and unite the three tribes.
