Sir Hugh to be buried on Saturday

Sir Hugh Kawharu

Ngati Whatua leader Sir Hugh Kawharu will be buried on Saturday at Rewiti Marae northwest of Auckland.

Sir Hugh, a distinguished academic, paramount chief of Auckland's Ngati Whatua iwi and a recipient of the Order of New Zealand, died at his home in Auckland yesterday, aged 79.

His body was taken to Orakei Marae in Auckland last night, and he will be buried at Rewiti Marae, about 35km northwest of downtown Auckland.

Ngati Whatua media spokesman Renata Blair said hundreds of people had gathered at Orakei Marae today.

Groups from Auckland University, where Sir Hugh was Professor of Maori Studies, and from local schools were welcomed onto the marae.

A group from Ngati Whatua in the Kaipara area were due to arrive later today, as was a delegation from Ngapuhi in Northland.

Prime Minister Helen Clark and Auckland City Council representatives are due tomorrow along with the Corrections Department and Ngati Porou of the East Coast.

Sir Hugh was remembered as a man of great dignity and mana by several people yesterday.

Born in Ashburton in 1927, Sir Hugh did well academically and starred on the sports field at Auckland Grammar before distinguishing himself as a scholar at university in New Zealand and Britain.

He spent five years with the Department of Maori Affairs before a glittering academic career in Maori studies and social anthropology at Massey and Auckland universities.

He had been chairman of Ngati Whatua's Orakei Trust Board since 1978 and of the Orakei Reserves Board since its 1992 establishment and was also involved in the creation of Te Runanga o Ngati Whatua, a unifying body for the tribe.

One of Sir Hugh's most satisfying achievements was a signing of an agreement in principle to settle Ngati Whatua's Treaty of Waitangi claim earlier this year.

Sir Hugh was also involved with several educational, professional and civic organisations.

A knighthood in 1989 was capped in 2002 by his appointment to the Order of New Zealand (ONZ), the nation's highest honour, one held by only about 20 citizens.

Prime Minister Helen Clark said "it is hard to imagine life in Auckland without Sir Hugh," and Auckland Mayor Dick Hubbard described him as "the most dignified man I have ever come across in my life".

Maori Party MP Hone Harawira said Sir Hugh "was a distinguished statesman and one of our more eloquent scholars", and Current Auckland University Maori Studies head Professor Margaret Mutu said Sir Hugh "was the perfect English gentleman and a rangatira (tribal leader) wrapped up together".

- NZPA