Te reo pioneer dies age 91
We mourn an unforgettable visionary, warrior and navigator. Huirangi’s dream was a world where te reo Ma¯ori was a living language. Ngahiwi Apanui
Taranaki’s great visionary, inspiring leader and champion of te reo Ma¯ ori, Huirangi Waikerepuru, has died.
Waikerepuru, who spent his life battling to have Ma¯ ori traditions of Aotearoa recognised, died on Wednesday in Palmerston North Hospital. He was 91.
Kaiwhakarite for Nga¯ ti Ruanui, Rukutai Watene, said while his uncle, mentor and friend was known for his work with te reo Ma¯ ori, there was so much more to him.
‘‘That’s just one aspect to the calibre of the man,’’ Watene said. ‘‘I grieve his loss.’’
‘‘One person like that comes around every now and then. Not to say another one’s not going to come,’’ Watene said. ‘‘You have Nelson Mandela for South Africa, we had Huirangi for Nga¯ ti Ruanui.’’
Waikerepuru was a teacher, a mentor, a builder when he needed to be, one of the founders of Ma¯ ori radio station Te Korimako o Taranaki, and a man who always had a future focus, Watene said.
It would hard going forward as a wha¯ nau and community without Waikerepuru, he said.
‘‘Huirangi was a one-man-band – he had all these attributes. For us to have that now we have to all come together.’’
Waikerepuru was born in South Taranaki, Taiporohenui was his marae, and he spent his life devoted to the preservation of te reo Ma¯ ori.
He was heavily involved in the Waitangi Tribunal claim that led to it finally being recognised as an official language of New Zealand in 1987.
Waikerepuru also helped re-establish te reo in Taranaki 30 years ago and was a key figure in Ma¯ ori language education in the province.
He received an honorary doctorate from The University of Waikato in 1995 and in the 2014 Queen’s Birthday Honours, he was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Ma¯ ori.
The Ma¯ ori Language Commission was one of many organisations that paid tribute to Dr Waikerepuru.
‘‘We mourn an unforgettable visionary, warrior and navigator. Huirangi’s dream was a world where te reo Ma¯ ori was a living language, he fought the Crown to make sure it honoured te reo and he helped guide the te reo Ma¯ ori movement for more than 70-years,’’ its chief executive Ngahiwi Apanui said.
‘‘His vision and vigilance are to thank for many things we take for granted today – from hearing te reo on our radio or tuning in to it on our television.
‘‘Huirangi led to serve. A humble yet resolute leader whose focus never wavered throughout a lifetime of serving his people. His legacy is one that will be felt far into the future, because throughout his lifetime, his eyes were focused on the future.’’
Due to Covid-19 level 4 restrictions, funerals and tangi are not allowed, and a body is not allowed to be moved between regions.
But with consent and help from the Ministry of Health and New Zealand Police, Waikerepuru was brought from Palmerston North and buried at Te Whaiti Urupa, in South Taranaki, on Thursday.
His niece Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said it took a lot of hard work, but it was an ‘‘absolute honour’’ to be able to bring him home.
‘‘That’s probably a statement of his mana,’’ se said. ‘‘I’m so stoked we were able to.’’
Ngarewa-Packer said she was glad he was home but it was difficult for everyone that lockdown restrictions on gatherings meant he couldn’t have the tangi he deserved.
‘‘He would have brought thousands.’’