03 Aug 2016
Taku manawa e kakapa nei. E kakapa ana ki ngā whetū , ki te marama ka tau nei ki te rua
Kātahi au ka kite i te hē, kātahi au ka kite i te mate. Ko taku tau kahurangi, ka riro kei Paerau
Ki te huihuinga o te Kahurangi, ka oti atu koutou e.
Kua hinga tēnei totara whakamarumaru o te ao kapa haka o te motu. He kanohi hōmiromiro, he ihumanea, he kaitiaki nō tōna pātaka iringa kōrero, kua kore. He toki tārai kōrero, tito waiata mō ngā toi o Aotearoa me ōna hītori, kua riro. Kāti rā, ‘He kokonga whare e kitea, he kokonga ngākau e kore e kitea’. Kua whakakākahutia ra koe ki te tōpuni o to tatou whaea a Hinenuitepō. Nā reira moe mai ra e te morehu pakeke ki te taha o tōu hoa rangatira a Pimia. Aue te aroha e!
Creative New Zealand mourns the loss of Dr Ngāpō Wehi (Ngāi Tūhoe, Te Whakatōhea, Ngāpuhi, Te Whānau-a-Apanui, Ngāti Kahu) who recently passed away aged 82.
Dr Wehi was a hugely respected exponent of te ao kapa haka. He was a founder of the awarding winning kapa haka group Te Waka Huia, which had a long association with Creative New Zealand including representing delegations at the Festival of Pacific Arts, the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo and the Venice Biennale.
Mr Wehi was awarded the supreme Te Waka Toi award in 1988 for his services to the arts and was chair of the former Te Waka Toi (Māori Arts Council) from 1994 to 1997.
He was awarded a Queens Service medal in 2011 for services to Maori, as well as an honorary doctorate from Massey University in 2001.
More tributes to Dr Ngāpō Wehi
Legendary kapa haka exponent Ngapo Wehi passes away – Maori TV
Kīngitanga mourn legendary haka exponent Ngapo Wehi – Māori TV
Te Ao Maori mourns the loss of Dr Ngapo Wehi – Wateea News
Kapa Haka looses legend Bub Wehi – Gisborne Herald
Radio New Zealand Checkpoint (Audio)
Radio New Zealand Morning Report (Audio)
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