Kahurangi (Dame) Tariana Turia

Ka tanuku, ka tanuku!
Ka tanuku koa te tāhūhū o Rangitāhuahua whare, ka horo!
Ka horo i te rironga o tōna poutokomanawa!
Te pou tautoko o te tini, te pou whakawhirinaki o te mano, Te Pou Tupua, ka riro!
He tini whetū ki te rangi, he wai kei aku kamo, ka heke ki ngā wai o Whangaehu, hei utu i te aroha ki taku kura Kahurangi ka riro!
E mate, kei hea rā tō aroha?
E mate, kei hea rā tō ngākau atawhai?
Waiho mai ki ahau a roimata, a hūpē hei hoa haere mōku, mō te whānau e ora nei.
The whānau of the Honourable Dr Dame Tariana Turia advise, with deep sadness, the passing of their beloved kuia at Whangaehu Marae in Whanganui in the early hours of Friday 3 January 2025.
A mother of six; grandmother; and great-grandmother of over 80 mokopuna, Kahurangi (Dame) Tariana will be remembered for spearheading a movement of transformation inspired by her belief in whānau being able to define their own solutions.
Her introduction of the concept of Whānau Ora in 2002; and her leadership as the first Minister for Whānau Ora in 2010, has been instrumental in changing the ways in which the State have worked for Māori and Pasifika families over the last two decades.
Kahurangi Tariana championed the drive for self-determination; becoming co-leader of the Māori Party in 2004 after she famously ‘crossed the floor’ to vote against the Foreshore and Seabed Bill.
Serving as a member of parliament for 18 years from 1996 to 2014, she was also resolute in her efforts to embed tobacco control reform; ‘enabling good lives’ with disabled persons; confronting rheumatic fever and establishing a ten year Māori housing strategy; He Whare Ahuru He Oranga Tangata.
Kahurangi Tariana worked tirelessly to advocate for Te Awa Tupua; the Whanganui River in the inaugural role of Te Pou Tupua from 2017 to 2021.
The loss of her beloved husband, George, in April 2019 took a significant toll on Dame Tariana, as has her declining health over the last two years.
It was her heartfelt wish to return home to lie in the house of Rangitāhuahua; her last days surrounded with the laughter of mokopuna, the waiata of her whānau; the karakia and kōrero that had always given her comfort.
Whānau will be gathering at Pakaitore where Dame Tariana will lie at 1pm today. From there, she will travel by waka to Putiki Marae, before returning home to Whangaehu at approximately 4pm.
For today and Saturday 4 January; this will be the time for the iwi of Te Ranga Tupua. On Sunday and Monday the marae will open to the motu, to come and say their farewells.
Powhiri will be held at 9am and 2pm each day.
The nehu will be held on Tuesday 7 January at 11am.
Source: Te Ranga Tupua Facebook Page (3 January 2025).

My mother had me to an American soldier. A Marine. She was 26 at the time. But she was told, right from the get-go, that she couldn’t take care of me and that I’d go to family. So that’s what happened. I was promised to an aunt and an uncle from Putiki, and the reason I was promised to them was because my mother was actually engaged to their son who was a pilot — and he got killed overseas. But, when I was born, my uncle — who became my dad — went and took me and brought me back to Whangaehu. Source: https://e-tangata.co.nz/korero/tariana-turia-a-dance-and-a-motorbik....