As the masses continue to arrive at Ngātokowaru Marae to pay tribute to Ahorangi Whatarangi Winiata, many are reflecting on the enduring impact of his life’s work.
Among them was Alex Barnes, a Pākehā speaker of te reo Māori, who says the language now heard throughout Ōtaki reflects decades of work led by Winiata and Te Wānanga o Raukawa.
“Ki te noho te tangata Pākehā me tōna kotahi, ki roto i tōna ahurea anake, kāore i te tino mōhio ki tēnei ao anō,” Barnes said.
“Ko te tino hua, ko te haere i roto i ngā ao e rua, ao rua, ao puāwai me pērā te kōrero.”
Born in Hōkio in 1934, Winiata would become one of the most influential Māori thinkers, educators and strategists of his generation.
No Ngāti Raukawa, he was the architect of Whakatipuranga Rua Mano, the iwi’s 25-year development strategy aimed at revitalising te reo Māori, strengthening cultural identity and preparing future generations to thrive as Māori.
The kaupapa helped pave the way for the establishment of Te Wānanga o Raukawa in Ōtaki and is widely credited with transforming the town into one of Aotearoa’s strongest centres of te reo Māori.
Barnes said that legacy can now be heard throughout the community.
“Nā wai, nā wai, ko te reo Māori tēra e rere ana i te taone, na runga i nga mahi nui i roto i nga tau, ko te Wānanga o Raukawa tēra, ara ko te arataki o tēnei o nga ahorangi o Whatarangi Winiata.”
Over several decades, Winiata became one of the leading figures behind Māori language revitalisation and Māori educational advancement, earning degrees in New Zealand and North America before returning home to help rebuild the foundations of his iwi.
Those gathered from all around the motu at the tangi have remembered him as a visionary, a teacher, a strategist and a shepherd for his people.
For Barnes, however, it was Winiata’s humility that left the strongest impression.
He recalled first meeting the respected academic while researching a programme focused on encouraging whānau to reconnect with their marae, whakapapa and histories.
“Ko te huarahi o te ora te ingoa. Arā, ko te poipoi me te akiaki i ngā whānau kia hoki anō ki te Marae, kia ako i wā rātou nei whakapapa, kōrero tuku iho, nō reira i uiui ahau ki a ia mō tērā āhuatanga, me te ngākau mahaki, te ngākau whakaiti, o tērā koroua.”
Barnes said Winiata welcomed people regardless of where they came from.
“Anei tētahi Pākehā e noho ana ki tōna taha ki te māhau ki te uiui, ahakoa ko wai, ahakoa nō whea, haramai ki te kōrero, he reka kei roto i enei tuāhuatanga arā ko ngā kaupapa tuku iho tērā.”
As mourners continue to arrive in Ōtaki to farewell the founding president of the Māori Party, architect of Whakatupuranga Rua Mano and co-founder of Te Wānanga o Raukawa, stories like Barnes’ offer a glimpse into the far-reaching impact of his life’s work.
Throughout the tangihanga, speaker after speaker has reflected on Winiata’s contribution to the revitalisation of te reo Māori and the advancement of Māori aspirations.
For Barnes, one of the clearest expressions of that legacy remains visible in the community Winiata helped shape, where te reo Māori is heard not only on the marae and in the classroom, but throughout the town itself.
