Sir Tumu Te Heuheu Tūkino VIII Photo: Supplied/The Hui
As Ngāti Tūwharetoa continues to mourn their Ariki Sir Tumu Te Heuheu hapū from all around Lake Taupō and beyond have come together to welcome iwi from around the country.
The Ariki or paramount chief of Ngāti Tūwharetoa died on Tuesday at the age of 84 and has been lying in state at his marae in Waihī near Tūrangi.
Ngāti Tūrangitukua spokesperson Karam Fletcher told Tūwharetoa FM preparations on the home side were going well but it was a big job for the hapū to manaaki so many people.
"Kāre e tino waia nei ki te manaaki i te tangata kia pēnei rawa te rahi nē. Nō reira koira tā mātau ko te ū ki te kaupapa te āta kōrero ki a tātau anō, te whakariterite i ā tātau kia pai ai, kia hāneanea ai te noho o ngā iwi o te motu whānui ki roto ō mātau ō Ngāti Tūwharetoa."
We're not used to looking after this amount of people. So we just need to stick to the plan, to talk between ourselves, to prepare ourselves so everything goes smoothly for the iwi from around the country visiting us of Ngāti Tūwharetoa.
Fletcher said proceedings on Thursday, which was set aside for descendants of Ngāti Tūwharetoa, went well and provided a "dress rehearsal" for the days ahead.
Awhina Eru from local hapū Ngāti Hine told Tūwharetoa FM that the Ariki provides a foundation for Ngāti Tūwharetoa.
"It's important for us to have a leader that will be able to guide us through our mahi," she said.
Rhieve Grey told Tūwharetoa FM that the tangihanga was a reminder that Ngāti Tūwharetoa was a united iwi under the leadership of their Ariki and to keep working together into the future.
"Mā te reanga rangatahi pea ō Tūwharetoa he tuatahitanga tēnei, he tuatahitanga tēnei kia kitea ā tinana i te kōtahitanga o Tūwharetoa huri noa i a Taupō nui a Tia, e mahi tahi ana ngā hapū, kua hoatu ngā haepapa katoa ki tērā hapū, ki tērā hapū, kia pai ai te tuku atu i tō tātau Ariki ki tua atu."
Perhaps for the younger generation of Tūwharetoa this is a first, this is a first to see in person the unity of Tūwharetoa from around Lake Taupō, our hapū are working together, with each hapū having a different responsibility so we can send off our Ariki.
On Friday morning iwi from across Te Tairāwhiti were welcomed to Waihī. Ngāti Porou leader Sir Selwyn Parata told Tūwharetoa FM he was good friends with Sir Tumu who he called a very humble and mild mannered person.
"Ka rata te tangata ki a ia, mehemea he Kuini, he Kingi, he taimaiti, he mokopuna, nā runga i tōna āhua, nā runga i te mahanatanga o tōna ngākau ki te tangata."
People loved him, whether they were queens or kings, children or grandchildren, because of his character, because of the warmth of his spirit to people.
But Parata said when Sir Tumu spoke his words were true and honest.
"Etahi taima kei te hē ngā mahi ā te Kawanatanga, ā te Karauna, heoi anō taea e Tumu te kōkiri atu te whakatikatika mai i runga i te tika."
Sometimes when the government, the Crown, did something wrong Tumu was able to lead the charge and correct them.
Parata said he would always acknowledge Sir Tumu as one of the first people to lend a hand to te Tairāwhiti after Cyclone Gabrielle.
The chair of the Kōhanga Reo National Trust Raniera Procter told Tūwharetoa FM that Sir Tumu and his father Sir Hepi Te Heuheu had been great supporters of kōhanga reo.
Procter said a phrase that Sir Tumu had shared with him in the past was "education is the elevator to success".
"He tangata whakaaro nui, kaua ki ā ia anake, kaua ki tana whare ariki anake, engari ki ngā ara e whai oranga ai, toi oranga ai tana iwi otirā ōna whānau. He mea nui ki ā ia te manaaki i ngā whānau kei raro i tana ihu."
He was a very considerate person, not just within himself, but to the ways to improve the livelihoods of his iwi. He was devoted to upholding his responsibility to his people.
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