Ririnui Mita: Obituaries — Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu 
Ririnui Mita: Obituaries — Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu 
[Volume:633;Page:4753] 
Hon MITA RIRINUI (Minister of State) 
: 
 Otira kei te Kaihautu me pehea ra te korero maku. A kua tutu mai nga rangatira o te Whare nei ki te whakatakoto whakaaro ki to tatou kuini tapairu kua ngaro atu ki tua o te arai. Otira taku nei na e tu ana ki te tautoko. No reira e te mokopuna o te motu e tika ana ta te korero “hinga ana te tete kura” a ko koe tera. Otira ko to tamaiti a Tuheitia kua tu ake koia na “te tete kura”. Na runga i tena korero maku e ki atu ki te kahui ariki nui tonu kia tino manaakihia mai to tatou kingi nei. No reira huri atu au ki a koe kai te mokopuna o te motu. Kei te hoki taku mahara ki te wa i a au e tamariki ana tekau ma toru tekau ma wha taku pakeke ka tutaki atu au i a koe. Koi na taku mahara. Tutaki atu au i a koe ki te pa o Ratana i te wa i to hoa a Te Reo Hura e ora ana. Ko ia ke te tumuaki o te hahi Ratana. I te maumahara tonu au te whakawhanaungatanga mai i a korua i waenganui i a korua. 
No reira e tika ana nga korero o te Whare nei he ariki humarie he ariki whakamahana i te tangata ahakoa ko wai ko wai ko wai. Nau tonu na i whakatinanahia nga moemoea o o tupuna mai ra i te kingi tuatahi a Potatau Te Wherowhero heke nei ki a koe. Ana ko ta te wero kei runga i to tamaiti kia whakatutukihia ena wawata ena hiahia. No reira e te kuini tapairu moe mai moe mai haere atu ra. 
[ 
Indeed Madam Speaker what is there for me to talk about? The chiefs of this House have made tributes to our sovereign queen who has passed beyond the veil. All that is left for me to do is to stand and support what has been expressed. So to you the grandchild of the land the saying “when a fern frond falls” is fitting in your case because you are that fern frond. Indeed your child Tuheitia who has risen in your place is “the fern frond that rises”. Because of that proverb my advice to the kahui ariki at large is that they must take real care of this king of ours. So I direct my remarks to you now the grandchild of the land. I recall a moment when I was a youngster of 13 or 14 years and saw you for the first time. That is what I recall at Ratana Pa. Te Reo Hura was the president of the Ratana Church at that time. I remember the friendship that developed between you two. It was lasting and close. 
The tributes of this House therefore are apt about a modest lady a lady who could relate to people regardless of who they were. You indeed embodied the dreams of your ancestors from the first king Potatau Te Wherowhero and down to you. The challenge for your child is to meet those dreams and aspirations. And so sovereign lady sleep there sleep there depart 
.] 
 It is indeed a privilege to be able to stand in this House and acknowledge one of Maoridom’s finest leaders. I endorse everything that has been said about her and her reign. I actually find myself short of words when it comes to talking about her achievements because they have been iterated and reiterated in this House today—indeed over the 6 days at Turangawaewae Marae. So I am trying to find the place for myself in this conversation. 
I can recall the time when I first met this great leader. I was about 13 or 14 years of age and it was at the annual Ratana celebrations. She and her entourage always came and they were a sight to see. In fact they were intimidating because the mana and authority were so strong. I recall a friendship she had with the then Ratana leader—the late Te Reo Hura. It was a bond between two women that had a significant impact on the development of our people. One was known as the Ture Tangata; the other was known as the Ture Wairua. It is said that the Ture Wairua had an easy job because she had to serve God but the Ture Tangata or the Kuini Tapairu had to serve the people which was not so easy. But she made the decisions with the support of her people. She brought the people out of a history that was full of grievance and into a future that was full of promise. 
Her successor still has a lot to do but he has been well prepared. There is a saying that goes: Waikato taniwha rau he piko he taniwha he piko he taniwha. 
[ 
Waikato of a hundred chiefs at every bend there is a chief. 
] 
It refers to the Waikato of a hundred chiefs so Tuheitia has a lot of support. 
As my colleague Phillip Field mentioned earlier Dame Te Ata hosted a lot of Pacific Island relations. I recall a very special person whom she hosted some time ago. He is probably the greatest freedom fighter the world has seen—none other than Nelson Mandela. I was fortunate enough to be there when he arrived at Turangawaewae Marae. Do members recall his statements about the importance of reconciliation? Tainui had just been through that process. I recall his statements about moving forward—Tainui were in the process of doing that. In fact Tainui were in the process of doing a lot of things that he mentioned. This great man and this great leader were together talking about the future. 
Another great leader of Maoridom although his reign was short was also there at the time. That person’s name was Raniera Te Aohou Tahupotiki Wiremu Ratana the late president of the Ratana movement. He also had much to share with Nelson Mandela. Together representatives of Ratana and the Kingitanga told of a special journey undertaken by the founder of the Ratana movement Tahupotiki Wiremu Ratana to South Africa in the 1920s and of the sadness he felt when he arrived in Durban and met a group of indigenous peoples who were slave labour on the waterfront. Ratana said a very simple phrase from the Scriptures: “Te wa kei te haramai ka neke atu koe ki a Ihowa. Koi na ka puta ka ora.” It meant: “The time will come when you become closer to your Creator and you will be led by a great man and from that time all your days will receive great blessings.” 
So that is my recollection of this great lady. I am sure that her successor Tuheitia will carry on this great journey. He has inherited a great legacy but at the same time will have many challenges. As I said Waikato taniwha rau he piko he taniwha he piko he taniwha. 
[ 
Waikato of a hundred chiefs at every bend there is a chief. 
]  
Kia ora tatou.