Mourners from across the country are converging on to Tāpeka Marae in Waihī Village, near Tūrangi, over the next few days to pay their respects to Ariki Sir Tumu Te Heuheu, who died on Tuesday.
Today, Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po was welcomed on to the marae early this morning. Tā Tumu's final public appearance was at Te Arikinui's first Koroneihana earlier this month. Kiingitanga spokesperson Rahui Papa said there were strong kinship ties between the two ariki houses of Te Wherowhero and Te Heuheu.
Tribes from Te Tairāwhiti were called on to the marae this morning too, and in the afternoon, neighbouring tribes from Te Arawa will arrive, as well as the head of the Rātana Church, Manuao Te Kohamutunga Tamou.
Thousands are expected to attend Sir Tumu’s tangihanga and strict tikanga are in place for attendees including no filming, photos or live streaming. Mourners have also been asked by the Ariki’s office, Te Kapua Whakapipi, to "come as themselves” without an agenda or representing a political party.
There is no vehicle access into Waihī Village – a small settlement with a single road access – and all visitors have been asked to leave their vehicles at Tūrangitukua Park in Tūrangi where bus shuttles will travel the remaining 8km to the village.
Two daily pōwhiri will take place over the next few days; the first at 9am and the second at 1pm.
Iwi have been grouped into regions and assigned a specific day to pay their respects at the marae.
On Monday, the final day of tangihanga, a private interment will take place.
Te Arawa mourns 'deep loss' alongside Tūwharetoa whanaunga
Several Te Arawa leaders have paid tribute to Sir Tumu, citing whakapapa links through the shared ancestor of Ngātoroirangi.
"Just as Toka Parore and Tūterangiharuru remain the two anchors of Te Arawa waka," read the collective statement, "so too do our iwi remain anchored together through whakapapa, whenua, and the pursuit for mana motuhake."
Ngāti Rangiwewehi iwi leader Te Ururoa Flavell said Ngātoroirangi’s descendants share in the "deep loss" of Tā Tumu's death.
"Tā Tumu’s voice was one of strength and steadfastness, never bending to the will of the Crown. His passing is a reminder of the sacred obligations we hold to continue the struggle for mana motuhake, in unity with our Tūwharetoa whanaunga," he said.
Te Arawa Lakes Trust chairman Wallace Haumaha said: "He secured mechanisms that ensured Ngāti Tūwharetoa retained their mana over their moana, showing the Crown that our lakes and waterways are not commodities but taonga tuku iho. In Te Arawa waka, we recognised his work as a guiding light for our own journey to restore authority over our lakes. His mana was as deep and enduring as the waters he defended."
Haumaha described Tā Tumu as having the "wisdom of Solomon". The former deputy commissioner for NZ Police recalled Tā Tumu signing a landmark memorandum of understanding between NZ Police and 14 iwi groups in the early 2000s.
"He was a leader who wanted the relationship between police and Māori to work for the benefit of our people coming through," he said.
Lawyer and Ngāti Pikiao iwi leader Annette Sykes said she witnessed Tā Tumu turning the "instruments of colonisation" into "tools for liberation". "He understood that international law, when wielded with courage, could affirm the rights our tūpuna never ceded. His call for the Crown to retreat from the maunga was not radical – it was just."
Brokering multimillion-dollar Central North Island forest lands settlement
In 2008, Tā Tumu was a key figure in the settlement of historical claims over central North Island forests land by a collective of six iwi groupings known as the Central North Island (CNI) Iwi Collective: Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Manawa, Ngāti Rangitihi, Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Whare, Raukawa, and collective grouping Te Pūmautanga o Te Arawa.
The settlement package was a multimillion-dollar deal that saw over 176,000 hectares of land return to the iwi collective.
Ngāti Rangitihi chairman Leith Comer acknowledged Tā Tumu's leadership in the collective settlement.
"He held firm the principle that our forests, carved from ancestral whenua, must always serve iwi, not private interests. Under his moral authority, the CNI deal was shaped in a way that protected mana, prevented further alienation, and ensured that no iwi in the collective would be left behind."
He added: "Tā Tumu was a distinguished leader who I had the privilege of knowing. He was a man of great dignity. He did not say much but when he did speak people would listen. He had a disarming smile and immense charm."
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