Matiu Rata (26 March 1934 – 25 July 1997) was a New Zealand Māori politician. He was the Member of Parliament for Northern Maori from a 1963 by-election to 1980, and was the Minister of Lands and Minister of Māori Affairs in the Third Labour Government of New Zealand between 1972 and 1975. He was the architect of both the Māori Affairs Amendment Act of 1974, which gave Māori greater control over their land, and the 1975 Waitangi Tribunal.In 1979 he resigned from the Labour Party.