He kauri tū, he mōtoi kahurangi, he pū mātauranga hoki o te ao Māori, koia rā, ko Merimeri Penfold o Ngāti Kuri, kua hinga nei i te pō rā. He ringa raupā ia i para i te huarahi mō te reo Māori, hei koha ki te ao whānui. Rere ana ngā tangi aroha ki a ia mai i ētahi o ngā tino pūkenga nui o te ao Māori, mōna e oki ngū nei.
Kua hinga tetahi o ngā tute o te kāhui o ngā kuaka o Te Pārengarenga, i tupu ake i Te Hāpua i Te Hiku o te Ika, koia ko Merimeri Penfold.
He akonga ō-mua nō Kuini Wikitōria, i whakapau kaha kia tūwhera tonu ai ōna tātou.
Hei tā Kuni Jenkins, nō Ngāti Porou e mea atu nei mō te riro tītapu nei kua wehea, “Koia tētahi o ngā wahine toa i tū atu kia kōhete ki te Haahi Mihingare kia kāua e kati tana kura”
He pūkenga reo Māori, e ono ngahuru mā whā tau ia e whakaako ana, ka mutu, o aua tau toru ngahuru, he māhita ako te kuia nei i Te Reo Māori ki Te Whare Wānanga o Tāmaki Makaurau.
I a Ranginui Walker o Te Whakatōhea e mahara ana ki tōna hoa nei kua hinga, taana e kii mai nei, “Ko Merimeri, ko Anne Salmond, ko Patu Hohepa, ko Matiu Te Hau te komiti nā ratou i wawata i whakaarotia kia whakatūria a Waipapa [Marae], a Tānenuiārangi [Whare Whakairo] i te Whare Wānanga “
He mema ō mua o Toitū Kaupapa Māori Mātauranga, o te Komiti Whakapāhō anō hoki. I te tau rua mano, ka whakawhiwhia ki a Penfold, he tohu kairangi mai i te Te Whare Wānanga o Tāmaki Makaurau hei whakahōnore i āna mahi tuhituhi. I whai wāhi atu a ia ki nga mahi whakamāori mō te Papakupu o te Wiremu, koia hoki te tuatahi ki te whakamāori i ngā tuhinga a Hekepia.
Ko tā Te Waihoroi Shortland, o Ngāti Hine me Te Aupouri, “Ahakoa ērā mea katoa, koia nei tētahi o ngā kuia e kore e taka ki runga i a ia tana moko o te kainga i tupu ake ai ia”
He kaikōmihana mō Te Kōmihana Tika Tangata, i whai wāhi atu ki te kāhui kahurangi o Aotearoa, mo āna mahi mō te Ao Māori i te tau rua mano mā tahi.
Hei tā te whānau pani, ahakoa ngā taimahatanga i ūhia ki runga i tōna tinana mai i te mate pukupuku, i harikoa katoa te ngākau o te kuia nei, i whai wāhi atu ia ki te haina i te Whakataunga Tiriti a Ngāti Kuri me te Karauna, ā, i kite hoki ia i te mārenatanga a tētahi o āna mokopuna i mua i tana okiokinga.
Ka takoto te taonga o mate, ki te poho o Tangirere, ki Waiora Marae, Ngataki a te pō nei.