“Kua hinga he totara i te wao nui a Tane.

Kua whetūrangitia koe”.

“Someone of great importance has passed away. Return, take your place amongst the stars along with your ancestors that adorn the sky”.

Kua korero mai a NZEI Te Riu Roa, ko Kahurangi Iritana Te Rangi Tāwhiwhirangi, he kaiwhakarewa o te Nekehanga Kohanga Reo, he kaiwhakatere, he manukura hoki ki roto i te āo Mātauranga Māori, e whakatūturu ana ngā ahunga kia akongia te reo me ōna tikanga ngā mokopuna. I moe mai ia i te 1 o Hui Tanguru.

Kī mai a Ripeka Lessels, Te Manukura o NZEI Te Riu Roa i manawanui ana te koiora a Kahurangi Iritana ki te reo Māori me te mātauranga o te whānau me te iwi.

“I tutuki i a ia ki roto i Te Kōhanga Reo he kaiwhakatuma pono i tōna wā. Ko tōna koiora ko te whakaako, me te whakarite kō tō tātou taonga, te reo Māori e puawai ana. He koiora tino nui, i tutukitanga tino nui.

NZEI Te Riu Roa says that Dame Iritana Te Rangi Tāwhiwhirangi, founder of the Te Kōhanga Reo movement, was a visionary leader in Māori education, ensuring many generations of mokopuna learned te reo and tikanga. Dame Iritana passed away on 1 February.

Ripeka Lessels, Te Manukura, says that Dame Iri tana spent her life dedicated to te reo Māori and the education of whānau and iwi.

"What Dame Iritana achieved with Te Kōhanga Reo makes her a true revolutionary in her time. Her life has been spent teaching, and making sure our taonga, te reo, thrives. A massive life, a massive achievement."

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