‘Kua hinga te tōtara o Te Waonui a Tāne’

(The tōtara in the great forest of Tāne has fallen).

Te Taumata Paetakawaenga o Ngā Kaitiaki Mauri want to acknowledge our Rangatira Titewhai Harawira, in her passing from this world to Hine-nui-te-pō. We are deeply saddened by this great loss and the passing of this Rangatira who has been strategic in supporting us for many years in the intervention and prevention of mahi tūkino/sexual violence.

Titewhai Harawira alongside Vapnierka (Vapi) Kupenga were two of the kaumātua that strategically named our rōpū ‘Ngā Kaitiaki Mauri’ that sits within Te Ōhaakii ā Hine – National Network Ending Sexual Violence Together, commonly known as TOAH-NNEST.

Titewhai was strategic, eloquent, and challenging in her contribution to the strategy, planning and vision, not only by naming us ‘Ngā Kaitiaki Mauri’ but also by the work she has done, over the many years of her life.

Titewhai sat with many of our Rangatira, who have long since passed on and may she ‘rest in peace’. A conversation Titewhai had with Bryce Smith from Te Taumata Wakaminenga as recent as last week, she said, “I think this will be my last Waitangi”, his response to her being, “well aunty, I think you’ll get a lot more work done up there with dad than you will down here with us” and they both laughed. It’s in that humour that we acknowledge her passion and compassion in the work that she has done for us.

She not only did this mahi for herself, her whānau, her hapū, her iwi, but she did it for our whānau, our hapū, our iwi and for all people in Aotearoa. We want to acknowledge and thank her for all that she has given to us. We will continue to reflect and carry her voice forward within Ngā Kaitiaki Mauri, embedding it in our whakapapa and the mana of our mahi.

No reira e manawahine rangatira Titewhai,

ka mau te wehi te tautoko me te manaakitanga ia mātou, te whānau Ngā Kaitiaki Mauri.

Tēnā koe e hoa, arohanui ki a koe me tō whānau.

Moe mai rā, moe mai rā, moe mai rā.

Haere, haere, haere atu rā.

Ka ti rā e te whānau pani,

kia kaha, kia maia, kia manawanui.

Tihewa, mauri ora

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