He Aituā Te Kanawa Ruka Pitiroi

Tūwharetoa Iwi,
Tūwharetoa whanaunga,
Kua tau te kapua pouri, e tangi tahi ana tātou.

Māori Trustee, Dr Charlotte Severne (Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Tūwharetoa), is saddened by the passing of respected Ngāti Tūwharetoa kaumātua Te Kanawa Ruka Pitiroi.

Spokesman for the Tūwharetoa paramount chief, Sir Tumu Te Heuheu, Pitiroi was also a teacher and deputy chairman for the Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board.

"Kaumatua and kaiako, the support Uncle Kawa gave to our Iwi, hapū and whānau was enormous he was active across many leadership roles, moe mai e koro-Dr Severne.”

Dr Severne and the kaimahi of Te Tumu Paeroa send their thoughts and aroha to Pitiroi's hoa rangatira and whānau, and to those he shared his mātauranga with throughout his life.

Moe mai e te Rangatira