I tēnei rā, i huri te aroaro o Te Arawa ki Pounamunui i Otaramarae ki te poroporoāki i tētahi o āna tino rākau taumatua, i a Tākuta Ken Cameron Kennedy Snr. He pia nā te rangatira nui a Tākuta Hiko Hohepa, ā, he tangata i ū ki te whakamanawa i te iwi mā te mātauranga me te whakaita i te reo.
Ka whakahuatia e Te Mauri Kingi o Tūhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao i te whanaketanga o Dr. Kennedy hei māngai nui mō te iwi i roto i ngā tau. “Taku mōhio, āhua pakeke ana ia ka nanao atu ia ki ngā taonga a rātou mā. Ka noho ake ia ki ngā kaumātua o aua rā rā, anā ka waimarie i roto i ngā tau ki te whai tūranga ki runga ki ngā paepae maha ki te kōkiri i ngā kaupapa maha ēnei, i ngā poari maha, tatū rawa ki ngā hui nui o te motu,” tā Kingi.
He nui te aroha i hēke i te kōrero a Timitepo Hohepa o Te Paepae o Ngāti Pikiao mō te rironga o tēnei oronui o te iwi. “Nō te rangi nei kua wahangū, kua riro. Kua riro tētahi tangata pērā te momo. Te mōhio ki te whakairo kōrero, ki te whakarite kaupapa māhere, ērā āhuatanga katoa mō te iwi. Kei konei mātou a te tokotoru a Manawa Kotokoto e haku nei, e tangi nei mōna,” te kī a Hohepa.
Te Arawa bids final farewell to Dr. Ken Kennedy
The Te Arawa confederation of tribes today gathered at Pounamunui Otaramarae to lay to rest one of its most influential leaders, Dr. Ken Cameron Kennedy Snr. A respected kaumātua, academic, and champion for Māori rights, Dr. Kennedy’s passing marks the end of an era for both his iwi and the national political landscape.
Wallace Haumaha, Chairman of Te Arawa Lakes Trust, spoke of Dr. Kennedy’s tireless dedication to the people. “For every hui throughout the country I can’t believe the energy that he had that he expended and travelled from a rohe to rohe, championing the voice of our people, championing the voice of Te Arawa and making sure that Te Arawa was heard on the national stage,” said Haumaha.
Labour MP Willie Jackson also paid tribute to Dr. Kennedy’s role as a fierce advocate for tikanga and te reo Māori within mainstream institutions. Jackson highlighted his unique ability to challenge the status quo: “How do they whakatinana te kaupapa i roto i te kaupapa auraki? And I think that’s why Ken was so important. Always challenging Pākehā, wero atu ki a rātou, you know, kei hea tō tātou reo, kei hea tō tātou tikanga i roto i te constitution? Koinā tana mahi i ngā wā katoa.”