The passing of Kiingi Tūheitia

Kua hinga te Tōtara nui i Te Wao Nui a Tāne. Aue te mamae, te mate, te tangi e. Kua noho pani te iwi whānui. Kua hoki ra ia ki Hawaiki nui, Hawaiki roa, Hawaiki pāmamao, ki te Hono i Wairua. Kua kore te whakauruhau mo nga manu o te ngahere.

E te mūrau o te tini, te wenerau o te mano, haere. E te autaia rongonui, haere. E te kaiārahi o te iwi o te Motu, haere. I nga ra o tata ake nei e whakahau ana koe ki te whakakotahi i a tātou katoa, i tēnei ra kua maunu hoki koe ki runga i te waka o tena tangata kaha ko Aitua. Kua whakawhiti atu koe i ēna mōana tūaurirui ki te Pō - ki te Pō nui, ki te Pō roa, ki te Pō e au ai te moe.

Na reira e te rangatira, haere. Haere atu ra i runga i taua ara takitini, haere atu i runga i taua ara takimano. Haere atu ki tō tatou Kai-Hanga, ki tō tatou Matua nui i te Rangi. Haere ki te okiokinga tūturu mo tātou. Haere, haere, oti atu.

We the trustees and staff of Foundation North would like to express our deepest condolences to the whānau of Kiingi Tūheitia Potatau Te Wherowhero te tua whitu and to all Māoridom who are mourning his sudden loss.

We reflect on his nationwide call to action of recent time with a vision of unity (Kotahitanga) and mana motuhake. A vision echoed through the ages by his tupuna, his predecessors and held firmly by him and those who supported him.

E kore te kupu e taea te whakatinana i te aroha ki te whanau whanui - words do not do justice to the expression of aroha we would like to share to Kiingi Tūheitia and his whānau, to the many hapū and iwi of Waikato/Tainui, to Te Ao Māori whanui.

Kotahi ra te kōrero ki a kaha, ki a maia, ki a manawanui.

Mauri ora ki a tatou katoa.