August 28, 2019
Ōtākou’s Tahu Potiki a true giant for Ngāi Tahu
Ngāi Tahu's young giant Tahu Potiki has died at the age of 53.
Mr Potiki served as chief executive of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu from 2002 until resigning in 2006.
He remained a political force within the South Island iwi and took on many governance roles, including with local government, health and Māori Television.
He was diagnosed with liver disease five years ago and received a transplant in 2017.
Te Tai Tonga MP Rino Tirikatene says he was intelligent, sharp, and passionate, and his death in his early 50s came as a shock.
"Too young but he's left an amazing, legacy, particularly with his dearly loved Ōtākou Marae and all the work he's done in Ōtākou and Ōtepoti-Dunedin, environmentally, at local government level, at iwi governance level, he's a true giant that has unfortunately fallen," he says.
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