Monday 16 September 2024
"Kua hinga he Totara i te wao nui a Tane - A great Totara has fallen in the Forest of Tane”.
Friday 30 August 2024 marked the day the Māori King, Kingi Tuheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero Te Tuawhitu - passed away. The following six days that followed, thousands of mourners from all over the motu gathered daily at Turangawaewae Marae in the tiny little Waikato town of Ngaruawahia where Te Kingi Māori lay in-state.
King’s College were fortunate to send a small party of staff and students to represent the College and pay our respects. We departed King’s College in the early morning of Wednesday 4 September arriving at our destination around 7.15am ready for our 8am powhiri and as expected, a large crowd were already assembled and waiting. While waiting, our students were interviewed by Māori media channels which Tipene Lee-Lemon (Year 12, Parnell) and Manea Harrison (Year 12, Marion Bruce), both spoke beautifully on behalf of our roopu.
The clock struck 8am and all manuhiri were welcomed into Turangawaewae Marae by karanga delivered inside by Kuia. We eventually found ourselves seats that allowed all our students a chance to witness such a great opportunity to see and hear korero and waiata māori ‘fit for our King’. In between the many speeches, visitors were treated to an endless supply of refreshments which also gave time for our akonga to engage with some of the locals.
We stayed on until the late afternoon ensuring to give our akonga this full and special tangihanga experience. As tikanga dictates, we were all invited to lunch with everyone and once again we saw manaakitanga in action at its finest. What a great display of kindness and whanau working as a team. We departed Ngaruawahia very satisfied both physically and spiritually and I know our akonga will not forget this experience.
Na, Wally Rifle, Teacher Te Ao Māori Studies
