Chief executive led Ng¯ai Tahu to financial success

rehabilitation when the former fitter and turner attended Te Wa¯ nanga o Raukawa. He became fluent in his native tongue after two years of full immersion.

He later studied social work at the University of Otago before becoming the kaia¯ rahi at Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology (now called Ara).

His first taste of tribal politics was as part of the ‘‘C Team’’ involved in the Nga¯ i Tahu Treaty of Waitangi settlement with the Crown.

The Nga¯ i Tahu Claim Settlement Act was passed into law in 1998, effectively pumping $170 million into the tribe’s bank account and giving the iwi the ability to purchase property from the Crown.

Potiki was thrust into the spotlight when the respective runanga representatives of the tribal council saw something in the young man with the imposing 1.95-metre frame.

While balancing tribal politics with balance sheets was a stressful period, he shone at both and was ably supported by a team of like-minded individuals who collectively wanted the South Island iwi to usher in a new era for Ma¯ ori.

His Ma¯ ori knowledge of te reo and tikanga, financial know-how and ability to converse with anyone helped him in his role as chief executive of the iwi – now synonymous with success.

By June 2012, Nga¯ i Tahu’s asset base had grown to $658m, with the tribe’s success – alongside that of WaikatoTainui, which went into Treaty settlements first – paving the way for others to travel down the same path.

Alongside his newfound success, Potiki continued to help others. Those at his tangi on September 1 heard how he helped many people financially from his own pocket, paying for groceries and even university tuition fees.

His dealings with hapu and iwi matters were helped by his night-time reading of whakapapa and Ma¯ ori manuscripts.

Arguably one of his biggest legacies was driving the iwi’s Whai Rawa scheme, a superannuation and unit trust that launched in 2006 and now boasts just under 30,000 members.

The fund, which pre-dates KiwiSaver, offers iwi members a chance to save for their education, homes and retirement.

It also delivers benefits to iwi members regardless of where they live, with Potiki conscious of investing in areas other than Christchurch, where the iwi has its headquarters.

Potiki, who married Megan Ellison in 2013, shocked everyone – including his wife – when he resigned from his position not long after their baby daughter was born.

The family relocated to Portobello, on the Otago Peninsula, for the smaller village lifestyle. His wife’s family lived next door.

Potiki’s knowledge continued to be in demand. He wrote regular opinion articles for The Press, was a district health board and council representative, and later became the Otakou Ru¯ nanga representative, in which he excelled in a governorship role.

Potiki, a descendant of Southern Ma¯ ori MPs Hori Kerei Taiaroa and Tame Parata, was sounded out by several political parties, but was reluctant to leave his three young children and had plans to explore that opportunity when they were older.

However, in 2014 he was diagnosed with leptospirosis, a bacterial disease he possibly contracted after drinking water contaminated with animal urine.

His liver began to shut down and he needed a transplant, which he received three years later.

Potiki had come to terms with his death, even planning his own tangi, but was worried about leaving his young family.

It was unknown where the donated liver came from, but the organ gave him two more years.

Ill health forced him back to hospital two months ago, and his condition did not improve after a change in medication.

He died in Auckland Hospital on August 27, at the age of 52 – the same age his father was when he died.

At his tangi at Otakou Marae five days later, it was noted the sky turned blood red from the deep south to the far north the night he died.

A Nga¯ i Tahu saying suggests it was a ‘‘tohu rangatira’’ – a sign of the chief.

Potiki is survived by his wife, Megan, and their three children: Ripeka, Timoti and Tukitaharaki. – By Hamish McNeilly