Ngāti Porou and the wider Māori community are mourning the passing of respected leader, academic and former senior public servant Sir Tamati Reedy, who has died aged 89.
Sir Tamati Reedy, of Ngāti Porou, was widely regarded as one of the most influential Māori leaders of his generation, with decades of service spanning education, te reo Māori revitalisation, public administration, iwi development and Māori advancement.
Born in Ruatoria in 1936 and raised in the Maraehara Valley, Sir Tamati went on to become a teacher, linguist, scholar, public servant and prominent advocate for Māori development.
He served as Secretary of the Department of Māori Affairs between 1983 and 1989 during a transformational period for Māori policy and development. During his tenure, significant milestones included the Māori Language Act 1987, the establishment of the Māori Language Commission, and the rise of major Māori cultural initiatives including Te Māori.
Sir Tamati also played a key role in Māori education and language revitalisation. Alongside his wife Tilly, he contributed to the development of kōhanga reo initiatives and helped shape Te Whāriki, New Zealand’s early childhood curriculum framework.
In 1996 he became the founding dean and professor of the School of Māori and Pacific Development at the University of Waikato, later serving as Pro Vice-Chancellor Māori and becoming the institution’s first Māori emeritus professor upon retirement.
His influence extended well beyond academia and government. Sir Tamati was also a former Māori All Black, representative rugby player, marathon runner and longstanding supporter of Māori sports development.
In 2011 he was appointed a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to education and Māori development.
Throughout his life Sir Tamati remained deeply connected to Ngāti Porou, iwi leadership and kaupapa Māori development, including service on the Waitangi Tribunal and involvement in Māori language and governance initiatives.
His passing marks the loss of one of Māoridom’s most respected intellectual and cultural leaders, whose work helped shape modern Māori education, language revitalisation and iwi development across Aotearoa.
