May 17, 2020
Waka captain mentored new leaders
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The north has lost another tohunga of the waka revival.
Wiremu Wiremu died last Thursday at the age of 80.
The former army engineer, who was recognisable by his impressive white moustache, served for many years as the captain of Ngatokimatawhaorua, working alongside the late Sir Hekenukumai Busby to train paddlers for the annual waka regatta at Waitangi.
Robert Gabel, the chair of Ngā Waka Te Tai Tokerau, says he was a mentor to many young leaders, passing on not just his extensive knowledge of waka but of other traditional Māori practices.
"He brought a whole new skill set to being a kaihautu on a waka. he had that whole discipline I dare say was built up from his years in the army and that was passed on to our young people and became part of his legacy in teaching young people the discipline that is associated with kaupapa waka,” Mr Gabel says.
Before being taken to Piki Te Aroha Marae in Rahiri for his tangi, Wiremu Wiremu was taken to the waka shelter on the Treaty Grounds at Waitangi so he and Ngātokimatawhaorua could farewell each other.
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