Mourners have continued to flock to Waiwhetū Marae in Lower Hutt over the past three days to pay tribute to Ihakara Porutu Puketapu.
Known widely as Kara, Puketapu rose through the ranks of the civil service to become the secretary of Māori Affairs from 1977 to 1982. He oversaw influential changes, including working directly with communities to support cultural and economic ambitions. Te Kōhanga Reo was one of many kaupapa that came to fruition as a result of the "kōkiri" units established in the government department that Te Puni Kōkiri would eventually replace.
Forty years later, some of the first students of the first kōhanga reo in Wainuiomata occupy the paepae at Waiwhetū, leading the tributes to Puketapu.
King Tuheitia, other Māori leaders, senior Māori government managers, government ministers and those who have benefited from the influence of Puketapu in leading changes have been among the mourners.
Tributes paid
A large entourage of mourners and representatives of iwi from Taranaki, relatives of Puketapu, also paid tribute.
Ruakere Hond says Puketapu was a leader of his time when it was needed.
"He tauira pai o te tangata i tupu ake i runga i tōna marae, i waenga i tōna iwi. Māro anō te tū, pakari anō te tū ahakoa pēhea nei te whiu i roto o Pōneke nei."
(Kara was raised among his people, on his marae. He was resolute, he was staunch in the face all that can happen in Wellington and government."
"He momo e kaha ai te akiaki te hunga tē hiahia te akiaki, te aro atu. Engari kua taumata kē tā tātou e whai nei.
"He momo pakari inaiānei, he pakanga ki te ao Māori. He kaha te tū i roto i a tātou tikanga, he kaha anō te kī koinei te mana motuhake o tēnei hapū, o tēnei kainga. Koia pea tētahi rerekētanga".
'Visionary for Māori success'
Puketapu was also a staunch supporter of the Kīngitanga and was awarded the first Order of the Taniwha, a Kiingitanga award to honour his lifelong commitment to Māori.
Rāhui Papa, a spokesman for the Kīngitanga, says Puketapu was visionary in his pursuit of whānau and community-led initiatives for Māori success.
"He tangata whakahiato i te ora o te hapori, i te ora o te whānau. Ko Hawaiki Atua tērā. Whakaarangia mai anō ngā toi Māori i whakaatu ki te ao. Ko Tū Tangata tērā. He pēwhea tō tātou āwhina i ngā tāne me ngā wāhine i roto i ō tātou hapori? Kimihia ngā huarahi a te Māori, tautokongia mai e te kāwanatanga."
(He was passionate about developing success of a community and whānau. Hawaiki Atua was the result. He also championed Māori arts and took that to the world. Tū Tangata then came about. Ultimately his drive was how best can our people be supported. By finding what worked best for Māori, by Māori and making sure the government came in behind and supported those kaupapa.)
Puketapu will be buried on Tuesday at his whānau homestead in Wainuiomata.
