Despite the cold, wind and rain, mourners have gathered at Whangaehu Marae to pay their respects to Dame Tariana Turia.
Rā tuatahi (day one) of the tangihanga of Dame Tariana has been reserved for the people of Whanganui to mourn, to share stories and to bid farewell to their kuia.
Among the mourners is local leader Elijah Pue. He acknowledges the many accolades bestowed upon Dame Tariana, but here at home, he says, she was Nan Tari.
“A ki waho atu ki Poneke rā, ko Whaea Tariana tērā. He minita, he mema paremata he rangatira, he māngai mo te awa mo te awa tupua. Ki konei ki Whangaehu, ki te marae o Ngā Wairiki o Ngāti Apa ki Rangiwhakaturia ko Nan Tari”
In Wellington she was Whaea Tariana. A minister, a member of Parliament, a leader – she was also the voice of the river. But here in Whangaehu, at the marae of the people of Ngā Wairiki of Ngāti Apa of Rangiwhakaturia, she was Nan Tari.
Whanganui iwi leader and former Te Pāti Māori president Che Wilson says the home people are ready to welcome the multitudes to mourn the passing of Dame Tariana.
“E kino ana te pouri o te ngākau i te rironga atu o tēnei whāene, o Tariana ki te iwi nui”
We’re deeply saddened with the loss of our whāene, of Tariana.
Dame Tariana and her late husband we’re instrumental in reestablishing her ancestral marae, Whangaehu. A testimony that Wilson says is the expression of mana motuhake
“Ko ngā tauira ko te whakatū i tōna marae o Whangaehu; te whakapakari ngā whānau i ngā PEP, Access Schemes; te whakatū i Te Oranganui hei health provider, te uru ki roto i te Paremata me te whakatū i te Pāti Māori”
An example is that she restablished the Whangaehu Marae, she strengthened whānau through coordinating the PEP Access schemes, she established Te Oranganui Māori Health Service and went on to become a member of Parliament.
Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po is expected to arrive tomorrow as hau kāinga expect thousands to descend upon Whangaehu Marae in the coming days.
Te Ao Māori News will have uninterrupted live coverage of the tangihanga here on the Te Ao Māori News site and on MĀORI+.
