Hundreds of people are expected to pay their respects to late Ngati Porou leader Apirana Mahuika over the next two days as he lies in state at Te Rahui Marae on the East Coast.
Apirana Tuahae Kaukapakapa Mahuika - affectionately known as Uncle or Papa Api - died yesterday at the age of 80.
Apirana Mahuika Photo: Twitter / Ngati Porou
Friends and family took Apirana Mahuika onto the marae near Ruatoria yesterday afternoon and spoke of a great leader who was tough minded and a fierce advocate for the people of Ngati Porou.
Nephew Whaimutu Dewes said he was man of imposing intellectual stature and a fierce advocate of Ngati Porou sovereignty.
Many people touched by Apirana Mahuika would follow his teaching and the example he set. "And that is, when it comes to your family, your whanau, and when it comes to your iwi Ngati Porou, there is no compromise."
Whanau spokesperson Te Rau Kupenga said he was a visionary and staunch advocate for Ngati Porou, Te Reo and Te Ao Maori. One of his legacies would be that he laid the foundation for the future and moulded generations of Ngati Porou to come.
Apirana Mahuika will lie in state at Te Rahui Marae in Tikitiki until Thursday, when he will be taken to his urupa, Kaitaha.
Te Runanganui o Ngati Porou is providing a live web stream of the tangi for those who can't make it to Tikitiki near Ruatoria.
Te Rahui Marae, where Apirana Mahuika is lying in state. Photo: RNZ / Peter Fowler