Miria Simpson was one of Maoridom's much-loved guardians and advocates of te reo.
Known fondly as Aunty Miria, she was also called the "taniwha No 1" for her devotion to accuracy, says Maori Language Commission head Patu Hohepa.
Her contribution was such that she was heralded simply as "Te Reo" by the hundreds who gathered to farewell her at Victoria University's Te Herenga Waka Marae this week.
But her love of language, and her command of it, was not restricted to Maori, her first language. She was just as dedicated to English and its delivery.
As former fellow commissioner and broadcaster Waihoroi Shortland noted, Simpson's love for both languages bordered on the fanatical, and she took no prisoners in her defence of her standards.
It didn't matter whether her target was a 2-year-old kohanga student or an 80-year-old kaumatua. Having made her point, she would then minister recovery procedures.
Born in Whakatane of Ngati Awa and Mataatua descent, Simpson was the longest-serving member of the Maori Language Commission. She was awarded a QSM in 1991 and recently given a doctorate by Victoria University for her services to the language.
Simpson was assistant editor of volume one of the Maori publication Nga Tangata Taumata Rau (Dictionary of New Zealand Biography), published in 1990, and editor, Wahanga Maori, for the Historical Atlas of New Zealand. She also wrote Nga Tohu o Te Tiriti: Making a Mark.
She was a member of the Waiariki representative executive council for the Maori Women's Welfare League from 1965 to 1969.
Her body has been taken to her home marae in Whakatane.
- NZPA
<i>Obituary:</i> Miria Simpson
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