It was with great sadness that I was told of the death, after a long illness, of Ngāti Tūwharetoa leader Timoti te Heuheu.
Timi was a tireless worker for Ngāti Tūwharetoa. He was one of Māoridom’s elder statesmen, a man who worked quietly and with great skill behind the scenes to build relationships between Ngāti Tūwharetoa and other iwi, and between Māori and the Crown. Timi’s wise counsel will be greatly missed, and none more so than by his elder brother, Sir Tumu te Heuheu, the Paramount Chief of Ngāti Tūwharetoa.
At this sad time, on behalf of my wife Janine and my family, I extend my deepest sympathies to Timi’s wife, Georgina and their whānau, to Ngāti Tūwharetoa, and to his many friends and colleagues spread throughout New Zealand. Ka hinga te tōtara o te wao nui a Tāne. Moe mai, moe mai, moe mai.
Lt Gen The Rt Hon Sir Jerry Mateparae
Governor-General of New Zealand