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A voice that has brought many hundreds of people to greater understanding and appreciation of te reo Maori has been silenced.
Henrietta Maxwell from Ngati Porou was one of the key figures behind the establishment the first kohanga reo at Wainuiomata.
She also championed Te Ataarangi for adult learners.
Port Nicholson Settlement Trust chair Neville Baker says she was part of the team that travelled the country explaining the kohanga reo model and helping whanau set them up.
She also wrote many of the waiata used to kick off kohanga.
Labour’s Maori caucus chair, Peeni Henare, says her dedication and commitment to the Maori language was unwavering and her legacy will not be forgotten.
He offered condolences to her eight surviving children.
Her tangi is at Wainuiomata Marae.
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