Thousands are beginning to converge on Waihī as Ngāti Tūwharetoa welcomes the motu to mourn their ariki, Tā Tumu Te Heuheu Tūkino VIII.
Yesterday, Ngāti Tūwharetoa and closely connected iwi and hapū gathered for their day to pay respects to their ariki, as Tā Tumu was taken onto Tāpeka Marae at Waihī.
In the early hours of this morning, five busloads of Tainui Waka arrived alongside Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po, their presence a powerful sign of the deep bond between Tā Tumu and the Kīngitanga.
Te Arikinui visited Tā Tumu in his final hours and is understood to have remained in the region since his passing.
The strength of that connection was shown not only in their early arrival but also in the resources Waikato Tainui sent to support Ngāti Tūwharetoa in preparing for the thousands expected to come.
As the morning unfolded, ope representing Tairāwhiti and Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei gathered at Te Mataapuna in Tūrangitukua Park before being taken by bus to Waihī to continue the flow of tributes.
Among them was prominent educationalist and academic, Dr Kathie Irwin (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahungunu, Rakaipaaka), who says Tā Tumu’s life exemplified a kind of leadership the world urgently needs.
“He embodied what leadership can be, that deep, quiet, unconditional Māori leadership. That’s what I want to be like when I grow up. One of the things his legacy really shows us is that very old, deep values are what the world actually needs. Indigenising humanity is part of Tā Tumu’s legacy.”
For Dr Irwin, she has come to acknowledge not only the leader he was but her own whānau ties to Tūwharetoa, with her grandfather buried in the rohe and who was positioned in Taupō as a minister with the Māori Mission of the Presbyterian Church and her mother was born here.
She recalls a chance, yet poignant, encounter with him.
“I sat next to him on a flight from Wellington to Taupō once, and I could hardly speak. He was so magnificent. His energy reminded me very much of my koroua. I could see he was working hard to get me to talk to him, but I was just starstruck by his humility.”
She said Tā Tumu’s leadership reflected a dual-worldview strength, grounded in Māoritanga while able to walk in global spaces with humility and grace.
“He was an absolutely wonderful leader. He embodied what leadership can be: that deep, quiet, unconditional Māori leadership. His leadership, his personal journey, I loved the kind of leader he was, and I loved the kind of human being he was.”
From Tāmaki Makaurau, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei also arrived to pay respects.
Precious Clark said they carried their uncle with them, Grant Hawke, who was laid to rest just yesterday at Ōkahu.
“We also come to bring the mate of my uncle Grant Hawke, who we buried yesterday, and like Tā Tumu te Heuheu, they were both humble men who were generous of spirit, and both fought for whenua. So, Uncle Grant was one of our leaders up at Takaparawhau alongside Uncle Joe Hawke and Tā Tumu te Heuheu.
“He tangata whawhai mō te whenua, ki te tiaki whenua hoki. So, these are some of the things that are important to us, to bring today to share with Tūwharetoa.”
She drew on the cycles of struggle and endurance that have always shaped Māori leadership.
“It’s leaders like Tā Tumu and all of his tūpuna rangatira, all of his ariki, who remind us: never give up. Because it’s a cycle, and things will come back around, and they will be different.”
For Clark, the tikanga being upheld at Waihī, including the prohibition on phones, filming, media, and streaming, is itself a tribute to Tā Tumu.
“I love it. I commend it. I think it’s beautiful the way Tūwharetoa has outlined how they want to honour their ariki…also in keeping his rā nehu for his people and his whānau is reflective of his style of leadership and how he was one with his people, he was one with his haukāinga, and I applaud it. Ngāti Tūwharetoa ko koutou te tauira," she said.
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rāwiri Waititi was clear in his emphasis on the enduring example Tā Tumu leaves for iwi and future generations.
“Koina hoki te aroha nui ki tēnei o tō tātou Ariki i tēnei rā, ōna mahi kaitā, ōna mahi nui mō te whakawhāiti i te iwi i runga i te ngākau māhaki, anō hoki i te rangimārie. Koinā hoki te tauira, ka waihotia tēnei Ariki, tēnei Koroua ki a tātou.”
“He nui ngā mahi kei mua i te aroaro ko tōna ōhākī, ko tōna maunga. Me whawhai tātou. Ngā mea kei rō Pāremata, ngā iwi leaders ēra tūāhuatanga katoa, me whawhai tātou mō te maunga kia tutuki pai ai te hiahia o te Ariki nei,” Waititi said.
Te Arawa waka and Hāhī Rātana, among others, made their way to Waihī on Friday afternoon.
Saturday and Sunday will see many more make their way into the region, with the iwi warning everyone of delays, and a reminder to be patient and allow time to get to Te Mataapuna to make the buses in time for their respective whakaeke.
the prohibition on phones, filming, media, and streaming
