Obituary

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 16, 5 November 1948, Page 4

Obituary

TE KEEPA TAWHIO, After several months of illness the death occurred on Wednesday of Te Keepa Tawhio, paramount chief of the Ngatiawa Tribe, at his residence at Paroa. Born .at Whakatane 77 years ago the late Mr Tawhio held a position of high respect both amongst his own people and pakeha. After attending the Whakatane primary school he carried on farming as a young man, until 1904, when he was appointed a constable to watch over the Maoris in the locality. At that time there was great rivalry between the various tribes in the district. Fights on a grand scale were common and the law, chiefly through ignorance, was almost entirely disregarded by the majority, of Maoris. It was to influence them that Mr Tawhio was made a constable. It was due mostly to his efforts that the Maoris were urged to live a more peaceful life. He held this position for 11 years. On the death of the chief of the Ngatiawa tribe, Hurunui Apanui. there being no person alive directly in line for the chieftainship,' the late Mr Tawhio, with the full approval of all the Maoris in the district, was made chief. During his lifetime Mr Tawhio was a leader of his people and always held high positions in committees dealing between . pakeha and Maori. He was related to several other tribes in New Zealand. The late Mr Tawhio is survived by a large family of children and grandchildren. He was married twice, both his wives predeceasing him.