Hokianga has lost one of its respected kaumātua, with John Klaricich remembered for decades of service to his community, Māori heritage and whenua.
Klaricich died peacefully at home on October 9, aged 94.
Born on March 23, 1932, he dedicated much of his life to serving the Hokianga and advocating for the protection of its history, culture and environment.
His contribution extended across conservation, heritage, Māori development and local community affairs.
Klaricich served on the New Zealand Conservation Authority from 1990 to 1999, where he brought his knowledge of Hokianga and its communities to national conservation discussions. The Department of Conservation later acknowledged his contribution to the authority.
He was also appointed to Te Waka Toi, the Māori arts board of Creative New Zealand, and served on the Waitangi National Trust Board.
But it was his knowledge of Hokianga history and his commitment to protecting that knowledge for future generations that became a defining part of his legacy.
Klaricich gave evidence to the Waitangi Tribunal on matters concerning Te Wahapū and Hokianga, drawing on generations of knowledge about whenua, whakapapa and the history of the region.
His 2014 evidence recorded his understanding of the ancestral landscape and the importance of maintaining the relationship between people and place.
He was also a claimant in Wai 528, a Waitangi Tribunal claim concerning matters affecting tangata whenua in Hokianga.
Klaricich’s knowledge of Māori history was also recognised through his contribution to the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography.
He co-authored the biography of Ngāti Korokoro leader Moetara Motu Tongapōrutu with historians Angela Ballara and Henare Arekatera Tate.
A legacy in Hokianga
Perhaps his most visible legacy is Manea – Footprints of Kupe, the Hokianga cultural tourism experience that brings the ancestral stories of the region to visitors.
Klaricich was a founding figure behind the project and served as chairman of Te Hua o Te Kawariki Trust.
The project took around 20 years to bring to fruition, with the vision of sharing the stories of the Hokianga while creating opportunities for the community.
At the opening of Manea, Klaricich told local students:
“Just remember: This is for you; not for us.”
The comment captured the kaupapa behind his work – ensuring the stories, knowledge and connections inherited from generations before him would remain alive for those who came after.
Klaricich spoke of his people’s relationship with the Hokianga spanning more than 30 generations, and of the responsibility to protect the region’s ancestral connections, traditions, places, artwork and songs.
His contribution was recognised nationally.
Klaricich was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2013 Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to Māori and the community.
He was also a first-generation Dalmatian New Zealander. His father arrived in the Far North as a gum digger in the early 1900s before the family settled in Ōmāpere.
For more than nine decades, Klaricich witnessed enormous change across the Far North.
Through his work in conservation, heritage, Māori development and community leadership, he remained focused on ensuring the history and identity of the Hokianga were respected and carried forward.
His legacy is now reflected in the stories preserved, the places protected and the generations encouraged to carry that knowledge forward.
He will lie in state at Te Kaiwaha Marae, Waiwhatawhata, until 8.45am on Tuesday, October 13.
He will then be taken to St Luke’s Church, Pākanae, for a 9am service, followed by burial at Ro Iho Urupā, Pākanae, at 10.45am.
