April 16, 2019
Tumanako Wereta a man of wisdom and energy
Tributes are flowing for Tumanako Wereta, a pou of the Rātana Church and the chair of one of Māoridom’s most successful enterprises, who died on Sunday.
As chair of Tuaropaki Trust Mr Werata leveraged the geothermal capacity of hapū-owned land at Mōkai northwest of Lake Taupō into a billion dollar enterprise encompassing geothermal power, energy services and engineering, telecommunications, pastoral farming, dairy processing, food and nutriceuticals, horticulture, as well as a giant worm farm producing compost from the waste from its greenhouses, dairy unit and Miraka milk plant.
Rātana Apōtoro Kereama Pene says he was a powerful voice in the church.
"He was raised in the early days of the Rātana movement, live at Rātana Pā, and was probably one of the most knowledgeable elders of our church, very learned man, not only in church affairs but he worked for government for many years and went back to work for his tribe and developed one of the greatest energy resources in New Zealand," he says.
Tumanako Werata’s tangi is at Rātana Pā, with the funeral service at 11am on Thursday.
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