Dame Iritana Te Rangi Tāwhiwhirangi died on Saturday 1 February, aged 95. Photo: Supplied / Te Tai
Dame Iritana Tāwhiwhirangi, a founder and champion of the Kōhanga Reo movement, is to be laid to rest on Friday morning at Rāhui marae in Tikitiki, near East Cape.
Thousands of people visited Te Poho o Rawiri Marae in Gisborne this week to pay their respects to a very special kuia.
A stern but caring mentor, a lion, a taniwha and a keen golfer - those were just a few of the words mourners used to describe Dame Iritana during the tangi.
Kōhanga Reo National Trust co-chair Raniera Procter said Dame Iritana touched people - whether it was through kōhanga reo, the Māori Women's Welfare League or Māori golf.
Her efforts to empower Māori families will bring long-term benefits to Aotearoa, he said.
"The focus for kōhanga reo has never changed - mana motuhake (self determination) has always been our goal."
Raniera Procter at last year's Waitangi celebrations. Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver
Kōhanga Reo National Trust sees a future where any Māori child, or any child wanting to learn te reo, has a right to attend a kōhanga reo, Procter said.
"Fifty thousand graduates [of kōhanga reo] is her gift to this country, and 430 kōhanga reo that exist today. But with that, our Kura Kaupapa, Kura ā iwi, our wānanga continue to reintegrate rangatiratanga (sovereignty) into our homes."
Manuhiri arrive at Te Poho o Rawiri marae in Gisborne. Photo: RNZ / Pokere Paewai
On Wednesday the Kiingitanga arrived at Te Poho o Rawiri Marae in Gisborne to pay their respects - with Te Arikinui Kuini Nga Wai Hono i te Po honouring Dame Iritana with a powerful haka.
Kiingitanga spokesperson Rahui Papa said when they heard of her passing it brought back many memories of the former Māori Queen Dame Te Atairangikaahu, who worked closely with Dame Iritana for many years as the patron of kōhanga reo.
Dame Te Atairangikaahu was said to have never missed a kōhanga reo hui. And Papa said she would often recount that kōhanga reo had taken her to every marae in Aotearoa.
"It means a lot to the Kiingitanga, Iritana was a very very strong and influential force in all of our gatherings," he said.
When Nga Wai Hono i te Po joined the Kōhanga Reo Trust in 2023 it was Dame Iritana who received her, Papa said. Iritana spread her 'loving wings' over the now- Māori Queen, mentoring her for two years, he said.
"We never ever forget those sorts of things, the old guard and the new guard coming in - 'Ka pū te ruha, ka hao te rangatahi' - that sort of mentality, and those memories just come flooding back."
The flag of the kōhanga reo at half mast. Photo: RNZ / Pokere Paewai
Dame Naida Glavish - who many at the tangi have compared to Iritana - said she was an amazing communicator who could make her point with very few words.
"She meant what she said and said what she meant, and her intention always was to look to be Māori at every turn of your life."
Whānau spokesperson Ngarimu Parata said Dame Iritana left an ōhāki, a parting wish, for the generations to come - "Kia mau te ruruku i a koutou."
"That ōhāki is a whakatauākī (saying) from her husband Porourangi Tawhiwhirangi's grandfather Te Hapuku Niha Tawhiwhirangi, and it means to stay strong and be true to one another and look after one another,"
On Friday morning Dame Iritana Tāwhiwhirangi will be taken to Porourangi Tawhiwhirangi Urupā in Tikitiki, having spent one final night at Rāhui Marae with her whānau and iwi.
She will be be laid to rest beside her husband Porourangi Tawhiwhirangi and her two children, Tangopahika (Boy) and Heni Whakamaungarangi.
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