To Gisborne now,
where Dr Rangimarie Rose Pere is being laid to rest
with her ancestors at the urupā of Rongopai Marae in Patutahi.
She was an acclaimed author and educator.
She passed away aged 83 following a long battle against ill health.
She was of Tūhoe, Ruapani and Kahungunu descent.
She was bold in holding onto
and promoting traditional mātauranga Māori.
That knowledge took her around the world.
Our reporter Irena Smith joins us live from Patutahi.
Irena, can you tell us what's happening now?
At the moment,
behind Rongopai Marae,
of course, is the local Patutahi urupā,
the whānau of Dr Rangimarie Rose Pere are burying her.
This past week she and her life's work were absolutely celebrated.
Her whānau that no other person could compare to her.
She was loyal to her beliefs,
to her ways,
and her knowledge.
Indeed, her knowledge came from the past.
That knowledge having travelled across the generations
of her ancestors.
It was knowledge about the gods,
rongoā Māori,
and the Māori world that she knew.
Her main mission was to give that knowledge away to people
regardless of where they came from or who they were.
The majority of people at the tangihanga
are indigenous people from all around the world.
Here is some of what attendees had to say.
We have had hundreds and thousands
come to pay their respects to her.
The crowds included a mix of those who believed in her
and those who were yet to believe in her.
They came from all around the country to pay tribute to her,
for her wisdom, understanding and teachings and her mana.
There is no other woman who could compare to her
and her sovereign ways in which she existed at all times.
She taught us to bravely stand,
stand in your own power,
never in someone else's.
You need to stand in your truth so you can go and be kind to others.
That's it.
Irena do you think,
based on what you've heard over the last week
at her tangihanga,
in your opinion,
what legacy does she leave for Te Ao Māori?
Her expertise in mātauranga
perhaps is one of the things in her life
that we are well aware of.
She wrote some strategies and a plan to help guide and lead
the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health as well.
The name of the document is Te Wheke.
Dr Rose Pere said that there is no division
between one's physical self and one's spiritual self
and therefore assistance
given to them should reflect that
regardless of whatever government department is involved
in the service delivery to our people and iwi.
But for more on that
let's take a listen to the whānau's spokesperson.
That was aunty.
It was about paying heed to one's essence at all times.
It comes down to all of us
so it needs to go around the whole country and world.
We need to love each other so we can all thrive,
stop hurting others.
We need to stop inflicting deep wounds on each other.
We need to stop.
Love is the answer.
So while she is a descendant of Ngāi Tūhoe,
Ngāti Kahungunu and Ngāti Ruapani
it was her final wish that she would be buried at Rongopai,
which was her spouse's,
where she can be put to rest.
Her life's legacy will never be forgotten, Scotty.
Too right.
Thank you so much, Irena.
Everyone that's Irena Smith at Patutahi Marae.