Kahurangi (Dame) Tariana Turia, who led a trailblazing life in Māori politics, has been laid to rest.
The matriarch of Te Pāti Māori died early on the morning of Friday, January 3, following a stroke.
The trailblazing wahine Māori politician was 80.
Across the week, thousands have passed through Whangaehu Marae, where Dame Tariana has laid in state, to pay their respects, and offer condolences and mihi poroporoaki the whānau, iwi and hapū of the founding leader of Te Pāti Māori.
The event was livestreamed on MĀORI+, here on the Te Ao Māori News website, and broadcast live on Te Reo Channel.
LIVE UPDATES:
2pm - Looking back on whaikōrero today
Helen Leahy – referred to as Kahurangi Tariana Turia’s right and left hand - delivered a moving eulogy at the funeral service, having spent many years as chief advisor in parliament.
“While her status as Te Kuia o te Motu saw Tariana loved by te tini me te mano, there [is] no greater loss felt than by those who knew her as nanny, sister, aunty, cousin, friend, mentor [and] mum.”
“She was gentle and kind, but she could also be formidable,” Leahy jokes.
“But in the next breath her wicked little giggle could light up the room and her twinkling eyes will never be forgotten.”
1pm - Moe mai rā e te māreikura
That concludes the livestream of Dame Tariana Turia’s tangihanga. The nehu (burial) will take place shortly at Whangaehu Marae.
E te māreikura, haere atu rā. Haere atu rā ki te pūtahitanga o Rehua, ki te huinga o te kahurangi.
11am
Hone Harawira and Tā Herewini have honoured Kahurangi Tariana Turia with their whaikōrero this morning.
Speaking before the manuhiri gathered, Hone Harawira said:
“Hakoa ngā raruraru roto i a tāua i te wā o te Pāremata, mōhio ana koe ki taku aroha ki a koe, Whaea.”
“[Me] taku mataku anō hoki, engari nui atu i tērā ko te aroha.”
Despite the issues between us during our time in Parliament, you know how much love I have for you, Whaea. And also, the fear, but mostly the love.
Meanwhile, Tā Herewini Parata remembered Dame Tariana for her dedication to her whānau, hapū and iwi.
“He wahine whawhai, engari ko tōna whawhai mō te mana o te whānau,” he adds.
“Mōhio tātau ki te ora ngā whānau, ka ora ngā hapu. Ka ora ngā hapu, ka ora te iwi. Ki te ora te iwi, ka ora te ao Māori, ka ora a Niu Tīreni. [Koia] tērā.”
She was a fighter, but she fought for the mana of families.
We understand that when the whānau thrives, the hapū thrives, which in turn benefits the iwi, Māori, and the nation.
The pair were among the last tranche of manuhiri welcomed onto Whangaehu Marae ahead of Dame Tariana’s nehu later this morning.
10:15am - Remembering Nanny Tari: A champion for rangatahi of Ngā Wairiki Ngāti Apa
To the world she was Kahurangi Tariana Turia, but to the rangatahi of Ngā Wairiki Ngāti Apa, she was Nanny Tari.
“Ki a mātau o te kāenga, [he] kuia whāngai mātauranga, he kuia tiaki mokopuna, tiaki tamariki, tiaki i te tangata ahakoa ko wai,” says Ihaka Whanarere-Tauri.
For us at home, she was a source of knowledge, she nurtured children and anyone no matter who you were.
Rangatahi are joining many others in honoring the founder of Te Pāti Māori and celebrating the enduring legacy of their whaea.
“I know that Nanny Tari was a huge advocate for us as rangatahi and her mokopuna. And to me, her walking across that stage was to ensure that there was a better future for us,” says Nyssa Nepe of Maripi Tuatini, a rangatahi leadership programme for Ngā Wairiki Ngāti Apa—an initiative in which Nepe says Nanny Tari played a pivotal role.
Read Riria Dalton-Reedy’s full story here.
9:45am - Luxon’s reflections
On rā tuatoru of Dame Tariana Turia’s tangihanga, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon joined along side other politicans to pay their respect to the late leader.
Luxon hadn’t worked alongside Turia but he was able to still meet her in person over a year ago.
“She held her views very very strongly, which is fantastic, but she also managed to find a way to sort of keep conversations with alot of different people with different perspectives as well.
“I was actually just talking to her brother and also to her son and just watching the people that have come from all walks of life to pay respects to her just speaks volumes of the impact she had on New Zealand and New Zealanders.”
When the last National government was in office, Māori Party, co-lead by Turia and Tā Pita Sharples, had a confidence and supply agreement with the John Key team. During there time working together Māori party were able to advance Māori interests.
Luxon was asked if today’s National party would still be able to advance the best interests of Māori interests in Aotearoa.
He said yes and added: “I believe strongly in localism and devolution and those closest to the opportunities and challenges we have are the right people to solve those.
“When you think about a National party that’s built off localism and devolution, you think about mana motuhake, there’s been always good values alignment and actually empowering iwi lead organisations.”
9:10am - Calls for Treaty Principles submissions
Yesterday Awa FM’s Te Kakenga Kawiti-Bishara interviewed Julia Whaipooti of Ngāti Porou, the tatau-urutahi (shared leader) of Te Kāhui Tika Tangata Human Rights Commission.
Kawiti-Bishara said, “We saw the Toitū te Tiriti kaupapa come through this morning with submissions closing tomorrow, with nan being returned to the whenua, what is a wero that may have been laid today?”
Whaipooti said Tariana Turia’s immortality lives on in the mahi she did, in her bravery, and in the prices she paid personally for all of us.
“It’s not lost on me that just over twenty years ago she crossed the floor for foreshore and seabed and today we are standing on our own whenua, fighting for our right to be,” Whaipooti said.
“Toitū te Tiriti is the right for te tiriti to be honoured and recognised and what it means for mana motuhake and tino rangatiratanga.
“It’s a pouri time that she’s returning to her tipuna and to the stars, it is also a reminder for us all that remain that she lives on with us and haere tonu.”
8:22am
Mōrena and welcome to our live updates for Te Rā Nehu, the day of burial for Kahurangi (Dame) Tariana Turia.
One final pōwhiri is set to begin at 9am to welcome the last manuhiri to pay respects for Dame Tariana. Te Ao Māori News understands Hone Harawira and Tā Herewini Parata will be among this group.
Yesterday, Tā Pita Sharples, the first man to co-lead Te Pāti Māori alongside Dame Tariana, was one of the kaikōrero on the pae.
Dame Tariana was also posthumously gifted the Hīkoi mō te Tiriti banner as a mark of respect for her pivotal role in hīkoi across generations.
The final step of the Kahu Whakatere prcocess took place after the poroporoaki last night, when Dame Tariana was closed up in a private whānau gathering.
You can read more about the ancient tangihanga practice Dame Tariana’s whānau is reviving, here.
Today’s livestream, brought to you by Whakaata Māori, is due to start at 8:55am. It is available to watch on MĀORI+, or on the Te Ao Māori News homepage.
