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The former head of Ngati Hine Radio says the death of Rob Cooper is a huge loss to the iwi.
Mr Cooper died in Auckland yesterday and he is being taken back to Motatau Marae for the tangi.
Mike Kake says he had a long record in treaty education and social justice issues, but it was his work in Maori health, especially in the formation of the Ngati Hine Health Trust, that made a major impact on the north.
"I’ve heard him described as the ultimate strategist and that's probably true because he didn't suffer fools gladly, that's for sure and that includes the bureaucrats in Wellington and everywhere else and certain politicians as well. He wasn't afraid to stand on his principles and he wasn't afraid to say things that needed to be said," Mr Kake says.
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