Eru Potaka-Dewes (1939 in

Ruatoria Ruatoria ( mi, Ruatōria) is a town in the Waiapu Valley of the Gisborne Region in the northeastern corner of New Zealand's North Island. The town was originally known as Cross Roads then Manutahi and was later named Ruatorea in 1913, after the M ...

– 7 August 2009 in Rotorua) was a

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

religious leader and activist.

Life and career

Eru Potaka-Dewes attended Waiomatatini Native Primary School,

Gisborne Boys' High School Gisborne Boys' High School is a boys' secondary school situated in Gisborne, New Zealand. It was founded as a co-educational school in 1909 as Gisborne High School. In 1956, the school became Gisborne Boys' High School when it was split into two ...

, and

Otago University , image_name = University of Otago Registry Building2.jpg , image_size = , caption = University clock tower , motto = la, Sapere aude , mottoeng = Dare to be wise , established = 1869; 152 years ago , type = Public research collegiate u ...

, where he studied history and teaching.Ngati Porou priest, actor Eru Potaka-Dewes dies
at radionz.co.nz, access date 23 October 2012 Afterwards he became an Anglican priest. After living a few years in Australia, he returned to New Zealand in the 1980s and engaged in political and legal debates concerning Maori questions, particularly those related to the

Treaty of Waitangi The Treaty of Waitangi ( mi, Te Tiriti o Waitangi) is a document of central importance to the History of New Zealand, history, to the political constitution of the state, and to the national mythos of New Zealand. It has played a major role in ...

.Maori leaders mourn activist
at nzherald.co.nz, access date 23 October 2012 During 1991, Potaka-Dewes established the ''Aotearoa-NZ Action Committee's Alternative Immigration Office'' (ANZAC) as an immigration centre for

indigenous peoples Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

.Ngati Porou theologian mourned
at anglicantaonga.org.nz, access date 23 October 2012 During the 1990s and early 2000s (decade), he also was working as an actor, appearing in

Jane Campion Dame Elizabeth Jane Campion (born 30 April 1954) is a New Zealand filmmaker. She is best known for writing and directing the critically acclaimed films ''The Piano'' (1993) and '' The Power of the Dog'' (2021), for which she has received a tot ...

's film ''

The Piano ''The Piano'' is a 1993 historical drama, period drama film written and directed by Jane Campion. Starring Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel, Sam Neill, and Anna Paquin in her first major acting role, the film focuses on a Elective mutism, mute Scott ...

'' and '' Rapa-Nui'', produced by

Kevin Costner Kevin Michael Costner (born January 18, 1955) is an American actor, producer, film director and musician. He has received various accolades, including two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Screen Actor ...

. He was the dean of theology at the Maori Anglican Theological College in Rotorua and taught in several Auckland and Rotorua schools. Potaka-Dewes died on 7 August 2009 in Rotorua, aged 70. He was survived by his wife, Kiri, and his children.

Filmography

* 1993:

* 1993: The Rainbow Warrior * 1994: Rapa-Nui * 1999: What Becomes of the Broken Hearted? * 2000:

Jubilee A jubilee is a particular anniversary of an event, usually denoting the 25th, 40th, 50th, 60th, and the 70th anniversary. The term is often now used to denote the celebrations associated with the reign of a monarch after a milestone number of y ...

* 2002: The Maori Merchant of Venice

External links

*
Eru Potaka-Dewes
at ihug.co.nz

References

1939 births 2009 deaths New Zealand male film actors New Zealand male Māori actors New Zealand Māori activists New Zealand theologians Ngāti Porou people New Zealand Anglican priests University of Otago alumni People from Ruatoria New Zealand activists People educated at Gisborne Boys' High School {{Māori-bio-stub