Hikohiko te uira, papā te whatitiri

He kanapu ki te rangi

E kapo ki ngā whetū, e kapo ki te marama!

E kapo ki taku raukura kua riro ki te huinga o te kahurangi

Ki te ope o te rua Matariki

Ka oti atu e!

E te whītiki o te kī, e te puna mātauranga, e koro e, Tā Toby, takoto mai, takoto mai, takoto mai. Takoto mai koe ki tō tūrangawaewae, ki tō marae o Tapuaekura. E tangi ana mātau ko tō iwi Māori ki a koe.

Whakaata Māori pays tribute to Sir Toby Curtis, who is being farewelled at Tapuaekura Marae in Rotorua and will be laid to rest on Monday.

“Sir Toby’s passing is a great loss to Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Rongomai and Te Arawa, and to the nation, across Aotearoa,” said Shane Taurima, Tāhuhu Rangapū of Whakaata Māori.

“Sir Toby was a pioneer for education and Māori broadcasting and was a strong supporter in the launch of Whakaata Māori back in 2004.”

In the late 1980s, Sir Toby was the chair of the Māori broadcasting advisory committee, leading to the formation of Aotearoa Radio, iwi radio stations, and Whakaata Māori, and in 1997 became the inaugural Chair of Te Māngai Pāho.

“We salute the significant contribution that Sir Toby has made to Māori language revitalisation and the legacy he helped create so that Māori voices and perspectives could be heard,” said Mr Taurima.

E rere atu nei te aroha ki te whānau pani, tae atu ki ōna iwi. E te rangatira, hoatu ki a nunui mā, ki a roroa mā. Waiho mai mātau ko te hāpai ō ki te whakatutuki i tō ōhākī.

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