MEDIA STATEMENT

Hon Tariana Turia and Hon Dr Pita Sharples
Maori Party Co-Leaders
Sunday 11 December 2011

Poroporoaki: Sir Henare Ngata

Haere, e te taonga o te mate haere.

E te Rangatira kei te rere ngā mihi mōu i ngā tōpito katoa o te motu; kei te heke te hupē, kei te maringi ngā roimata, kinikini, haehae, auē taukuri e.

Maori Party Co-leaders, Dr Pita Sharples and Tariana Turia, have today acknowledged the heavy sadness that has descended upon Te Tai Rawhiti, at the passing earlier today of Sir Henare Kohere Ngata.

“Sir Henare was regarded with the utmost respect. As the youngest child of Sir Apirana Ngata, many saw in him the standards of excellence and the determination to lay the platform for a secure future which characterised the legacy left by his father.

“Sir Henare served in World War Two in the C Company, the East Coast wing of the Maori Battalion. We are fortunate to have his record of events recalled from training in New Zealand in 1939 through to fighting in Greece in 1941 where he was captured in a German Prisoner of War Camp until 1945.

“When he returned home, Sir Henare was appointed the Chairperson of the Mangatu Incorporation, and established a reputation for expertise in Maori land management. He was an impressive speaker, being able to interpret the impact of legislation such as the Maori Trustees Act, the Public Works Act and the 1967 Maori Affairs Act while at the same time providing powerful explanations about the alienation of land”.

Sir Henry was the Chairperson and Convenor of the Maori Land Committee of the Maori Council, serving on the Council from 1960 to 1984. He was a chartered accountant from 1953 to 1990, his clients being for the most part, Maori incorporations and Trusts.

“Throughout his long life, Sir Henare retained an active interest in the Maori world including such recent developments as providing submissions on the foreshore and seabed legislation and sponsoring the bid for Tairawhiti to host Te Matatini national kapa haka festival. His vision was to see Te Matatini return to the East Coast and it was a matter of great pride for him earlier this year, that the festival took place in Gisborne”.

“Sir Henry will be greatly missed by Ngati Porou, by his whanau, and most particularly of all his cherished wife, Lady Lorna Ngata. Our thoughts and sympathy are with them all”.

ENDS

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