Mate Atu He Toa: A Brave Warrior Has Died

"T" is standing 3rd from left. His lovely chidren are the two right of their Great Grandmother.

Double click to enlarge picture:

My Mokopuna Turoa Kaweka Johns passed away last Thursday after a brave struggle with cancer at the age of 23 years. For the last 8 weeks he was cared for in the Gallagher Hospice in Hamilton where we assisted in looking after him. His care there by staff was appreciated very much by whanau. Turoa bore the pain with dignity and without complaint and having his father and brother there throughout and the rest of us assisting helped immensely. Finally he died in his sleep and peacefully.

We called him "T". At his tangihanga at Waitahanui his friends from Toku Mapihi Kura Kaupapa in Hamilton, Hato Petara in Northcote, and Te Aute College in Hawkes Bay, as well as his partner's whanau from Tauranga Moana, and his mothers whanau from Ngati Tamatera, Waikato, and his father's whanau and many others came. It was the largest that the locals had seen at a tangi for many years. It is difficult to describe but the occasion was more a celebration and the rangatahi performed not only with talent but mana fitting the ocassion. Sad though the ocassion, we were blown away. If there's such a thing as a good tangi, this one was great and memorable.

The Taurawhiri I Te Reo have said that in spite of developments in Te Reo in the last 30 years or so, the reo is struggling and close to extinction. I didn't get that impression during this tangi. It was young people rather than old who got up on the marae and in the whare on the last night to korero and waiata. Even though it was formal, the young speakers were up to it. I will never forget it.

Na reira kua poroporoakitia tenei moko ki tona hikoi. Kua tangi nga tangi. Ko nga waihotanga ko ona tamariki tokorua me nga mahara noaiho e mau tonu ana.