Tā Herewini Parata, chair of Te Matatini, says Dame Tariana Turia’s unwavering support for Te Matatini will be sorely missed as the organisation gears up for next month’s competition.
He was among the final manuhiri welcomed onto Whangaehu Marae this morning.
“E tangi ana taku ngākau i taku kāinga i te rongotanga kua riro ia. Ko Te Matatini i roto i ōku whakaaro, rokohanga kua tukuna atu au te tono ki a ia i runga i te āhuatanga o Te Matatini. Ehara i te mea koia te iwi kāinga me tuku tono, engari he ngākau nui pūmau e ia ki ngā āhuatanga o Te Matatini. Kāore he hapa.
“My heart was crying at home when I heard that she had passed away. Suddenly, Te Matatini was in my thoughts at that time. The experience I had with her was that I sent her a request on what she thought on the condition of Te Matatini [coming to Te Kāhui Maunga]. Not saying she was the representative of the tribe, but she always had a strong interest in the characteristics of Te Matatini. [To her] She saw nothing wrong with it,”
Te Ao Māori news spoke with Sir Herewini as he reflected on the moments shared with the late Dame and the woman she became for the people.
“Koia te Kōkā o te Whānau Ora. Koia te whaea o te Pāti Māōri. Ki ōku whakaaro, koia te Ariki te Pairiu o ēnei wā mō ngā kaupapa e whaia nei e ngā iwi, e ngā hapū i te Mana Motuhake,
“She was the mother of Whānau Ora. She was the founding mother of the Māori Party. In my opinion, she was also Mother Theresa of these times for the purposes pursued by our tribes and sub-tribes in the name of Mana Motuhake,”
As preparations for Te Matatini ki Te Kāhui Maunga are underway, with less than 55 days to go, Sir Parata reassures the legacy of Dame Tariana will be memorialised alongside other Matriarchs and leaders we have recently loss within the year.
“Ahakoa tātou e tangi ana mōna. Heoi anō e whakanui ana i a ia i te wā i a ia i runga i te mata o te whenua. E kawe ana i ngā kaupapa o te ao Māori,
“Even we are crying for her. Never the less, we will honour her and her time on the face of this earth. To carry out the Māori affairs for Māoridom,”
