Dame Tariana Turia, a co-founder of Te Pāti Māori, passed away at the age of 80 at Whangaehu Marae in Whanganui.
Turia made history by splitting from the Labour Party over the controversial Foreshore and Seabed Act in 2004, forming the Māori Party, and becoming its co-leader.
Her political career spanned 18 years, during which she held ministerial roles in both Labour and National governments.
Turia retired in 2014 and was later honoured as a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
Members of the community and family will gather in the coming days for her funeral.
I will always remember Dame Turia as a positive influencer and precedent setter to pronounce Te Reo “the way my people pronounce Maori”. I soft breathed waa-nau and not ‘Queen’s English’: photentic “pha-nau” !
May she rest in peace.
https://embeds.rnz.co.nz/audio/2018831004
She did a great interview on Marxist radio RNZ see attached .