04 Jun 2026
Taka mai i hea te pō o te rangi. Taka mai i runga o ngā maunga e. Takoto mai i runga i ngā marae tapu o te ika nui, te ika roa, te ika a Maui-tikitiki a Taranga e takoto nei. Haere rā e te mōrehu pakeke, te whakaruruhau, te mana o ngā tipuna. Te kuru o te marama, ka taupoki te waka ki raro e, ka taupoki, te waka ki raro ra. Aue te aroha, te mamae e.
Creative New Zealand acknowledges the passing of Whatarangi Winiata, a respected Ngāti Raukawa leader and recipient of the Te Waka Toi Tā Kingi Ihaka Award, who died yesterday aged 92.
Professor Winiata was honoured with the award at the 2020 Te Waka Toi Awards in recognition of his significant lifetime contribution to Māori culture and his enduring support of ngā toi Māori.
"He was one of the most influential Māori thinkers and leaders of his generation, and he gave so much to advancing Māori aspirations through education, language revitalisation, iwi development and the strengthening of mātauranga Māori," says Haniko Te Kurapa, Senior Manager, Te Kaupapa o Toi Aotearoa.
Born in Horowhenua in 1934, he was among the first Māori to graduate with a commerce degree in Aotearoa before returning home to apply his knowledge in the service of Māori communities.
Through Whakatupuranga Rua Mano, Professor Winiata helped lay the foundations for generations of whānau to reconnect with their language, culture and identity. His vision would later help shape Te Wānanga o Raukawa in Ōtaki, creating a place where mātauranga Māori and Māori values sit at the heart of learning.
Haniko says Professor Winiata's influence extended far beyond the institutions he helped establish.
"While many people knew Whatarangi as an educator, economist and visionary leader, his life's work strengthened the cultural foundations that enable Māori creativity to thrive. He understood that reo, identity, knowledge, and the arts are inseparable."
The Tā Kingi Ihaka Award recognises kaumātua and kuia whose lifelong commitment has strengthened Māori culture through their support of ngā toi Māori. In recognising Professor Winiata in 2020, the Te Waka Toi Awards acknowledged a lifetime dedicated to ensuring Māori language, knowledge, and identity would continue to flourish for generations to come.
Creative New Zealand extends its aroha to the Winiata whānau, Ngāti Raukawa and all those whose lives were touched by his leadership, service and vision.
Moe mai rā e te rangatira.