Hon Willie Jackson

Te Minita Whanaketanga Māori

Minister for Māori Development

Ko koe tēnā e te hurumanu e Hōhepa, te tōwenetanga a te iti, te māpihi herenga mahara o te tini, ka tauawhi tonuhia koe e to iwi ki te uma pupuri ai.

Me pēhea he kupu kia koutou kua puta i nga ākinga a nga tau kua hori, kua waia kē ki ngā hau pūkeri o te wā, kua hoea ngā wai tāpokopoko o te raru, kua hīkoi kē i te ara o te tika kua karo i te hē.

Kua mōhio ki te pai, kua mātau ki te kino. Koutou kua rongo i te reo o te pani, kua kite i ngā pēhitanga o te rawakore. E te ha o te ora, ngā pae o te mātauranga, ngā pepeha o te hunga kua ngaro, te whirinakitanga mo te ngākau pouri, takoto mai ra i paeroa o te mate, e kore nei a muri e hokia, okioki mai i roto i te Ariki.

Tēna e Rongo whakatāirihia to pononga nei ki te rangi, tūturu whakamaua kia tinā, tinā hui e tāiki e!

As Parliament resumes today, Minister for Māori Development Willie Jackson acknowledges the recent passing of a great orator and a dedicated servant to preserving mātauranga Māori, Dr Hōhepa (Joe) Mason QSO.

The Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Pukeko and Ngāti Hokopū descendant who contributed diligently to Ngāti Awa’s raupatu claim and passage of Ngāti Awa claim settlement act in 2005 passed away recently, aged 87.

“I think it’s important to Mātua Joe’s whānau and Ngāti Awa that the Government acknowledge the loss of a great leader who passed away while the House was in recess.

“His more than 60 years of service and legacy to his iwi and wider community warrants this acknowledgement, Willie Jackson said

During his early years, Joe was a respected teacher at many schools throughout the Mataatua rohe and played an influential role in developing many of the young leaders in Ngāti Awa.

Joe was the first secretary of the Ngāti Awa Trust Board and would go on to be the chairman bringing strong leadership and direction to the Trust.

He held numerous other leadership roles including director of Mātaatua Fishing Company, director of Ngāti Awa Group Holdings, trustee member of Te Kāhui Kaumātua, chairman of the Kiwinui Trust as well as serving on the council of Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi, which earned him an honorary doctorate in 2013.

The Ngāti Awa leader’s service to his iwi and wider community was recognised in 2008, when he was appointed a companion of the Queen’s Service Order in the New Year’s Honours list.

“Mātua Joe was a custodian of customary knowledge including hapū whakapapa, waiata history and traditional iwi knowledge. He is a huge loss for Ngāti Awa and Te Ao Māori.”

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