Papā te whatitiri, hikohiko te uira, i kanapu ki te rangi, i whētuki i raro rā, rū ana te whenua e.

Uea te pou o tōku whare kia tū tangata he kapua whakairi nāku nā runga o Taupiri. Ko taku kiri ka tōkia ki te anu mātao. E te iwi whītiki, whītiki, whakarewa.

Kua whati a roto, kua pohara te iwi Māori i tō wehenga atu. E te Ariki, e te Kiingi Māori Tuheitia, moe mai rā i roto i ngā ringaringa o te atua.

Kaikini te aroha, kaikini te manawa, kaikini te wairua. Hei aha rā, hei aha rā, tū tonu te mahara.

“It is with deep sadness that we received news early this morning of the passing of Kiingi Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII. His passing is deeply mourned,” said Te Pāti Māori co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi.

“The Kiingitanga, in our people’s darkest moments, gave our people hope. It is a Māori movement that has never surrendered its mana,” said President John Tamihere.

“Kiingi Tūheitia was grassroots, humble, not fluent or flashy in formalities, yet naturally prepared to serve and lead,” said co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.

“His legacy of unification, of mana motuhake and rangatiratanga, will live on through the movement and through te iwi Māori,” said co-leader Rawiri Waititi.

Te Pāti Māori will pay tribute to Kiingi Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII alongside their respective iwi. No media requests will be taken until further notice.

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