The late West Auckland leader Jack Taumaunu is being returned to his home marae in Tairāwhiti for burial this weekend.
Taumaunu died on Tuesday, aged 84.
Known as Uncle Jack, he was widely known for his work with the Māori Wardens in Waitākere, as well as helping set up the country's first kura kaupapa with his wife Evelyn.
He was also instrumental in the creation of the Waipareira Trust, where he is still hailed as a backbone.
Trust chief executive John Tamihere said Taumaunu, alongside his wife, dedicated his life to reconnecting urban Māori with their culture.
"Everything they did was to reintroduce the lost and the lonely Māori back to their culture.
"Most of them who were reconnected back to their culture have done extremely well."
Tamihere said we were watching the loss of a generation of leaders that were "irreplacable"
Māori culture should not be judged by its lowest common denominator - it should be judged by the Taumaunu family and their contributions to the positive, evolving society that we had today, he said.
Taumaunu gave tirelessly and relentlessly of himself, Tamihere said.
