Listen Now: 
Download AudioThe chair of Manukau Urban Māori Authority says the late Dame Temuranga June Batley-Jackson was a formidable leader who set a clear direction for the organisation.
The funeral service for Dame June will be held this morning at Ngā Whare Waatea, the urban marae she developed in Mangere.
Bernie O’Donnell says it was a privilege to work alongside her – even if it was sometimes terrifying.
He says she spent every waking moment advocating for her community in South Auckland, and she wasn’t afraid to challenge anyone, whether it was crown agencies or iwi.
“She challenged iwi leadership to look after their people, and if they wouldn’t, then she would. That is the pathway she prepared for us to follow. She could tell you straight about what you thought; she could cut through all the claptrap and get it to the point where this is what we are doing, this is what you mean and this is where we are going,” Mr O’Donnell says.
RELATED NEWS
