DEATH OF PRINCESS TE PUEA

Te Ao Hou, Spring 1952, Page 33

DEATH OF PRINCESS TE PUEA We greatly regret to record that shortly before we went to press the death occurred at her home at Ngaruawahia of Princess Te Puea Herangi. Born, in 1884, the granddaughter of Tawhiao, the second Maori king, Te Puea became the outstanding chieftainess of Waikato and Maniapoto tribes and the greatest Maori woman of the last half-century. For her outstanding leadership, and her untiring and selfless devotion to the interests of her people—even when she was in failing health and, more recently, seriously ill—she won the great admiration and respect of Maori and pakeha alike. Te Puea identified herself particularly with the Maori King movement, and she was responsible for establishing the movement's headquarters at Ngaruawahia. There beside the sacred spring from which Tawhiao used to drink, she gradually built Turangawaewae, which is today the finest tribal centre in New Zealand, and a fitting memorial to the departed chieftainess's foresight and industry. Te Puea was an energetic worker, particularly in encouraging her people to develop their land resources. She also took an active part in promoting Maori arts and crafts, and hygiene. In 1937 she was awarded the C.B.E. for her contributions to the welfare of the Maori race. Many tributes have been paid to Princess Te Puea's wonderful character and outstanding leadership; and the esteem in which she was held by Maori and pakeha was further and finally apparent from the many people who went to Ngaruawahia to pay her their last respects. The story of the tangi and of the life of Te Puea, with photos, will be told in the next issue of Te Ao Hou. Oho ana te mauri i te rongo kua moe a Te Puea Herangi i te moenga roa, i mate ki tona kaenga i Ngaruawahia i te po o te Ratapu te 12 o nga ra o Oketopa, 1952. I whanau a Te Puea ki Whatiwhatihoe i te tau 1884, he mokopuna na Tawhiao te tuarua o nga kingi o Waikato. He wahine wehi he wahine kaha ki te hiki i nga mahi mo ona iwi a he wahine i paolo ona ronga ki te Ao nui tonu i runga i ana mahi. Kei te tangi te Ao Maori me te Ao Pakeha mo tenei wahine, mo ana mahi nunui a kitea ra ka pau ano ona kaha i te mate kawe tonu tona koiwi. Ko ia te manawa o Waikato nana i tuhonohono nga iwi, nga mana ariki i mau tonu ai te taonga a Waikato tona ariki nui te Kingi, a nana i whakatangatanga nga kuaha o nga whare pa o Waikato. E takoto mai nei a Turangawaewae me ona whare, a Mahinarangi a Turongo nga tipuna o Waikato na Te Puea enei hei taonga whakahirahira mo ona ariki hei pohatu whakamaharatanga hoki ki a ia te wahine nana i matakite enei taonga. I whakapaua e Te Puea ona kaha ki te whakapai i nga whenua o Waikato i raro i te kaupapa ahuwhenua a Ngata. I uhia te kahu rangatira o Te Kingi te C.B.E. ki runga i a ia i te tau 1937. Kua puta nga tangi a te Motu ki to tatou kuia a kei te whakaeke nga iwi ki tona marae ki Turangawaewae ki te riringi i o ratou roimata te Pakeha me te Maori. Haere e kui, haere. Haere ki o matua tipuna i te po.