20/11/2023
He Aituā!
Ka tanuku! Ka tanuku!
Ka tanuku te tihi o Hikurangi Maunga, ka tanuku!
He riringi roimata ka heke ki te awa o Waiapu
heke, heke tonu atu ki te awa o Ōroua.
Ka whati te keokeotanga o Ruahine Pae Maunga, ka whatīa!
Rere kau atu rā ngā wai ki Te Pūtahitanga o te awa o Manawatū.
Heke tonu atu ki Te Awahou, p**a atu ki Te Moana o Raukawa.
He tai timu, he tai pari, ka pari te tai ki Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa.
Pari atu ki te ākau o Rakahanga, o Manihiki, ki ngā Kuki Airani e.
Kua mate te tama a tō tātou Kaipupuru Mauri o Te Pūtahi-a-Toi, tō tātou māreikura a Kōkā Julia Taiapa. Inanahi tonu nei, tae mai ai ngā karere pouri kua hinga a Rongomai Taiapa-Aporo.
Ko Te Whānau a Tūwhakairiora e tangi atu rā.
Ko Ngāti Porou e tangi mai nei.
Ko Te Whānau a Apanui, ko te Whānau Callaghan e tangi atu rā.
Ko Ngāti Kauwhata e tangi mai nei.
I te ngarohanga o te uri whakaheke o te kuia rangatira o Tahuriwakanui a Hiria Ahuriri.
Ko Te Whānau o Mana Tamariki anō hoki e tangi atu rā i te rirohanga o te pouako e arohaina nuitia ana e ōna tauira, ōna whānau, ōna tangata, ōna hoa mahi.
Ko Te Whānau o Te Piringa Kapa Haka e tangi mai nei i te matenga o te tino Kaitātaki, Kaiarahi, Kaiako o te kapa haka.
Huri atu ki a Te Pūtahi a Toi, he tauira i tohua ki te tohu o Te Aho Tātairangi, nāna nei a Te Aho Matua i kōkiri, koia ko Toi Kura, ko Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa e auēhia ake nei tae tonu atu ki Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Manawatū, ki Te Kura o Te Pou Hōia (Freyberg).
Ko ōna kura ēnā i tō tātou nei rohe a Te Papaioea, a Manawatū, e hotu nei i tēnei wā.
He uira kei te rangi he kanapū ki te whenua.
Tītoki whakairi kupu, whakaahura ana te hohoro o te haere.
He hua kore noa te mate!
He aha hoki rā tēnei hanga ka pā mai ki a tātou.
Koia rānei he pukenga wairua, koia rānei he pukenga tangata.
Koia kē ko te heke a Maruiwi i toromi ai ki Te Reinga, i hinga i te ringa kaha o Aituā.
Hui katoa ngā mate o te wā nei. Ko Koro George (Watty) Kereama anō hoki tēnā nō Ngāti Manomano, nō Ngāti Raukawa koia kua hinga. Ka hoki rā ia ki ōna matua i te pō, a Ngapukapuka, a Tūkawekai, a Te Whetumarama o Te Ata, rātou katoa.
He kura i tangihia, he maimai aroha ki a nūnui mā, ki a rōroa mai ka ngaro i te tirohanga kanohi. Hoki ana mai ki a tātou e takatū nei i te nukuroa o te whenua, kia kaha rā tātou.
It is with immense sadness that we learnt of the sudden loss of Rongomai Taiapa-Aporo, eldest son of our Kaipupuru Mauri of Te Pūtahi-a-Toi, Kōkā Julia Taiapa. Beloved tūngane of our Future Students colleague, Puawai Taiapa-Aporo and his eldest tuahine, Kitiana. Cherished son of Faipoto Aporo, of Rakahanga, Manihiki.
Rongomai held the role of Pouako at Te Wharekura o Mana Tamariki, was a graduate of Te Aho Tātairangi, was one of the lead tutors of Te Piringa Kapa Haka, was a leader of his Church and was a renowned and supremely talented musician, performer and composer. Our deepest thoughts and sympathy are with our māreikura, Kōkā Julia, Puawai, Kitiana, Faipoto and all of the tamariki and mokopuna at this time.
Mā Te Wāhi Ngaro te whānau pani, otirā tātou, e tiaki, e manaaki, e whakakaha.
Nā
Ahorangi Meihana Durie
(Rongomai graduated with Te Aho Tātairangi:Bachelor of Teaching and Learning Kura Kaupapa Māori in 2016.)