Tributes for Te Ariki Sir Tumu Te Heuheu Tūkino VIII, the paramount chief of central North Island-based iwi Ngāti Tuwharetoa, are pouring in following his death early on Tuesday morning. He was 84.
A statement from the Kiingitanga on behalf of Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po expressed her "profound sorrow" at Sir Tumu’s death. She acknowledged the "deep whakapapa", "mutual respect" and "enduring bond" between the Kiingitanga and Ngāti Tūwharetoa.
"A steadfast pillar of strength and mana within te ao Maaori," the statement read, "Ngāti Tuuwharetoa has long stood as an enduring support to Kiingitanga. Under three decades of leadership by Taa Tumu, this sacred connection, forged through generations of collaboration and upheld through times of challenge and triumph, has only grown stronger.
"Taa Tumu was not only a guardian of his people, but a trusted ally and advisor to Kiingitanga. His voice carried weight in matters of tikanga, rangatiratanga, and kotahitanga. His wisdom, leadership, and unwavering commitment to the wellbeing of his iwi and te ao Maaori leave behind an enduring legacy."
Kiingitanga spokesperson Rahui Papa told TVNZ's Breakfast that Sir Tumu was held in the highest regard across the country, not only with Māori, but with all communities which extended around the world.
"Sir Tumu was a sterling bloke. He was a magnet toward diplomats and tamariki. He was a family man, he walked across many generations and he engaged with all walks of life," said Papa.
Sir Tumu was the first New Zealander to chair UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee, and he was instrumental in Tongariro National Park gaining world heritage status.
Not only did he lead a life of service, said Papa, but he upheld the heritage and legacy of his forebears.
"Right from Herea Te Heuheu [Tūkino I], right through the line of whakapapa to his father Sir Hepi Te Heuheu [Tūkino VII] – they have been part and parcel of the machinations of the workings of Maoridom. Just about every kaupapa within Māoridom, Te Heuheu had his fingerprints on."
He said over generations many members of the Te Heuheu whānau have been involved in major decision making for Māori.
Sir Tumu’s status of paramount chief is a hereditary title. He succeeded his father in 1997 in a special ceremony that took place immediately after his father’s funeral at Waihī, near Tūrangi, on the shores of Lake Taupō. The late Māori queen, Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, played a significant role in the proceedings.
In turn, upon Dame Te Atairangikaahu’s passing, Sir Tumu was a prominent figure in both the ascension ceremonies of the late Kingi Tuheitia, and, most recently, Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po.
One of Sir Tumu's last public appearances was at Te Arikinui's first Koroneihana celebrations earlier this month.
"The house of Te Heuheu and the house of Te Wherowhero have been part and parcel of each other for time immemorial really," said Papa, "well before the establishment of Te Kiingitanga, but it was really entrenched within the establishment of Te Kiingitanga at Pukawa on the shores of Lake Taupō.”
In recent generations, the relationship between the two houses evolved into one Papa described as being of family rather than inter-iwi, which was fostered between Sir Tumu and Dame Te Atairangikaahu.
He said Sir Tumu’s role during Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po’s raising up was that of a koroua than an ariki of another tribe.
"That family dynamic was just right there," said Papa.
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