Aotearoa loses a great Māori leader

new-zealand-labour-party

Mon Feb 09 2015 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)

Aotearoa loses a great Māori leader

Monday, 9 February 2015, 1:11 pm
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party

He aituā! He aituā!

Ka tau te kākahu taratara ki runga o Hikurangi maunga. Ka rere iho ngā roimata ki roto I te awa o Waiapū. Ka tere tonu ki te pākau o te Rāwhiti.

The Labour Party today pays its respect to Ngati Porou leader Apirana Mahuika who has died after a long illness.

“Apirana Mahuika was a born leader. Not only as the head of Ngāti Porou but as an ordained Anglican minister for more than 50 years, and a teacher and scholar,” Labour Leader Andrew Little says.

“Uncle Api, as he was affectionately known, worked tirelessly to improve the lives of his people through education and his drive for self-determination and self-reliance for Ngāti Porou.

“He also worked hard for all New Zealanders though his work as chair of the Iwi Leadership Forum and the positions he held on at Waikato University’s Climate Change and Te Kotahi Research Institute and on many other boards.

“Last year Police honoured him for helping them strengthen their relationship with Māori.

Labour’s MP for Ikaroa-Rāwhiti Meka Whaitiri said Ngāti Porou had lost a great leader.

“His passion and commitment will be remembered not only by his whānau but by all of Maoridom.

Nō reira e te pononga a te Atua, e Apirana hāere koe ki ōu mātua tūpuna kua mene ki te po. Ki te whakamaunga kekete, e kekete mai ai te kekete, e ara mai ai te ara. Mahue iho mātou ki muri nei moe mai rā e te rangatira.

Ko ngā whakaaro atawhai ki te whānau pani otirā ki te Tai Rāwhiti whānui.

The Labour Party will be strongly represented at Apirana Mahuika’s tangi by our Māori caucus.

ends

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

a.supporter:hover {background:#EC4438!important;} @media screen and (max-width: 480px) { #byline-block div.byline-block {padding-right:16px;}}

Using Scoop for work?

Scoop is free for personal use, but you’ll need a licence for work use. This is part of our Ethical Paywall and how we fund Scoop. Join today with plans starting from less than $3 per week, plus gain access to exclusive Pro features.

Join Pro Individual Find out more

Find more from New Zealand Labour Party on InfoPages.