January 25, 2023
Titewhai Harawira a powerful presence
Māori Development Minister Willie Jackson says Titewhai Harawira was one of the most significant leaders for urban Māori in Auckland in the past 50 years.
The Ngāpuhi kuia who was born in Whakapara has died at the age of 90.
While widely known for her role in Waitangi Day commemorations, evolving from protest leader to the chaperone of prime ministers and governors general, she cut her teeth in the 1970s in Ngā Tamatoa and the Auckland District Māori Council, then led by the late Ranginui Walker and Patu Hohepa.
“It was just wonderful what she did in the communities in terms of challenging health establishments and she got into a bit of trouble here and there as you do but she always fought against the system. T was hated by a lot of the mainstream media. It never fazed her. She was the leading activist leader here in Auckland along with Uncle Syd and Auntie Hana Jackson. They were just so strong and powerful as a group,” Mr Jackson says.
Titewhai Harawira hosted Ngā Pūtake Wāhine a weekly talkback show on Radio Waatea for more than a decade.