Te Arawa waka is mourning the loss of Mauriora Kingi, a beloved pillar of the community of Tūhourangi-Ngāti Wāhiao and Ngāti Raukawa.
The loss of Mauriora Kingi is a great one, not only for his family but the wider community.
Just this week Mr Kingi was made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for his services to Māori and was serving as kaupapa Māori director for the Rotorua Lakes Council.
When he spoke to Te Kāea about the honour, he was extremely humbled by the nomination, however he was more interested in finding out who had nominated him, he later learned it was his people of Tūhourangi-Ngāti Wāhiao.
He told Te Kāea at the time, "Thinking back to my parents, elders who have taught me and nurtured me, it was them that fed me information."
He has championed te reo me ōna tikanga in all his work and has always been a strong and vocal advocate for his people and is a member of the community that will be sorely missed by many.