Tributes flow for Kōhanga Reo founder

Kōhanga Reo founder and Māori educator Dame Iritana Te Rangi Tāwhiwhirangi (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāpuhi) has passed away at 95 years of age.

Her passing has prompted an outpouring of support, tribute and remembrance from educators, whānau and Māori leaders across the country.  

Ripeka Lessels, Te Manukura | President of NZEI Te Riu Roa, acknowledged Tāwhiwhirangi as a “visionary leader” in Māori education.  

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“What Dame Iritana achieved with Te Kōhanga Reo makes her a true revolutionary in her time. Her life has been spent teaching, and making sure our taonga, te reo, thrives. A massive life, a massive achievement.”  

A statement provided by the Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust said “As a whānau we are deeply proud of all her work and accomplishments… leading, contributing and supporting Māori development through kaupapa such as Te Kōhanga Reo, Māori Womens Welfare League, Tu Tangata and many other kaupapa. 

“She had high expectations and demanded the best for, and of Māoridom. She worked tirelessly to strengthen whānau and she was adamant that whānau knew what was best for them, and they only needed to be empowered and enabled to do so. 

“She challenged the status quo and pushed for better outcomes for whānau. She gave her life to the greater cause ensuring Māoridom achieved independence and self-determination with a flourishing Reo. Her passion was the development of whānau, community and iwi.” 

Tāwhiwhirangi’s tangihanga took place last Wednesday at Te Poho o Rāwiri Marae in Gisborne where many travelled to pay their respects, including the Kiingitanga Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po. Tāwhiwhirangi was then uplifted to Te Rāhui marae in Tikitiki to lay in state before being interred to the family urupā close by Rāhui Marae, where her husband and children lie.  

Beginning her career as a kaiako and then a wellfare officer on the East Coast, Tāwhiwhirangi spearheaded the kōhanga reo movement in the 70s and 80s. In the 1970s, only five percent of tamariki Māori spoke te reo Māori. Now, over 20 percent of tamariki Māori speak te reo Māori as one of their first languages.  

The first kōhanga reo centre opened in April 1982 with a model of Māori immersion aimed at revitalising the language.  

Tāwhiwhirangi was a life member of the Māori Women’s Welfare League, and a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit. She was made a Dame Companion in 2009 for services to Māori education.  

In an interview for Waka Huia in 2012, Tāwhiwhirangi said “I have never seen in my lifetime so many achievements as I’ve seen in these kōhanga graduates. Standing tall, speaking Māori… I’m very optimistic about the future, if we get it right and keep on involving people the way we have done.”