The Maori Party's co-leaders have paid tribute to Sir Henare Ngata, an elder statesman of Ngati Porou, who died on Sunday at the age of 93.
Pita Sharples and Tariana Turia say a heavy sadness has descended upon Te Tai Rawhiti at Sir Henare's passing.
Sir Henare was the youngest son of the pioneering Maori leader Sir Apirana Ngata and was born at Waiomatatini on the East Coast in December 1917.
He was educated at Te Aute College and Victoria University, gaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1948 and a commerce degree the following the year.
Sir Henare served with the Maori Battalion's Company C in the Second World War and spent four years as a prisoner of war in Germany.
He chaired the Mangatu Incorporation from 1959 to 1987, establishing an expertise in Maori land management, and served on other bodies including the New Zealand Maori Council.
Sir Henare was noted for his knowledge of whakapapa and kapa haka and was knighted in 1982 for his services to Maori.
