Sir Tumu Te Heuheu Tūkino VIII. Photo: supplied/The Hui
Sir Tumu Te Heuheu carried the mantle of ariki and paramount chief of Ngāti Tūwharetoa for nearly three decades. Born in 1941, after school he spent time in the woolsheds and gained his private pilot’s licence, but begrudgingly became involved with the Tūwharetoa Trust Board after some "encouragement" from his father. Tumu Te Heuheu was instrumental in Tongariro National Park becoming a Unesco World Heritage site in 1993; four years later he became paramount chief of Ngāti Tūwharetoa in 1997, following the death of his father Hepi Te Heuheu Tūkino VII. Although never high profile, he advanced his iwi through quiet influence and personal mana. His contribution was acknowledged when he was named a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2005, later upgraded to a knighthood. Sir Tumu Te Heuheu died on September 23 aged 84. — Agencies/Allied Media
