Kua hinga he rangatira mīharo rawa atu o Ngāpuhi-nui-tonu, o Te Āo Māori, o Aotearoa hoki. Kua hinga he pou o te whakaoratanga o te Reo Māori. E rere haere ana ngā mihi aroha o Te Rōpū Kākāriki ki te whānau pani me ngā tangata huri noa i te motu e tangi ana i tēnēi wā pouri.
The Green Party is saddened by the untimely death of Erima Henare and extends its aroha and condolences to his whānau, hapū and iwi.
“Mr Henare was one of the great Māori leaders, and was a tireless advocate for the protection and restoration of Te Reo Māori,” said Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei.
“He was strong and determined, and always fought for the kaupapa that mattered most. He recently presented to the Māori Affairs Select Committee and spoke of the distress at the current uncertainty in the Reo Māori sector.”
Erima Henare was a bastion of the Reo Māori revitalisation movement and he was leading the charge in his current position as Chair of Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori. He is also well known for his roles as a cultural advisor to Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga, as a former Chief Executive of the Ngāti Hine Health Trust, a former member of the Waitangi National Trust Board and as former Executive Director Māori for Open Polytechnic of New Zealand.
“His leadership and advocacy of behalf of not just Ngāpuhi but all of te iwi Māori was exemplary and inspiring and it will be sorely missed.
“Our love and thoughts are with Mr Henare’s whānau at this time of grief and loss, and in particular we are thinking of our Parliamentary colleague Peeni Henare,” said Mrs Turei.
Nō reira, e te Rangatira, e Erima, takoto mai rā, takoto mai rā, takoto mai rā. Ā tō wā, hoki atu ki ngā ringaringa o ōu mātua tūpuna.
