Māori academic Dr Mānuka Henare dies

Dr Mānuka Henare (Te Rarawa, Te Aupōuri, Ngāti Kahu) has died following a short battle with a degenerative illness. Photo / Supplied

Dr Mānuka Henare (Te Rarawa, Te Aupōuri, Ngāti Kahu) at the weekend after a short battle with a degenerative illness. He was 78.

AUT Associate Professor Dr Ella Henry describes him as one of the great and meticulous historians of Ngāpuhi.

"An immense scholar, a man of faith but also a lot of fun to work with and be around," she said. "He developed the koru of Māori ethics to better understand Māori beliefs and Māori values and how they shaped our behaviour."

In 1996, Dr Henare was recruited to develop the Dame Mira Szaszy Research Centre at the University of Auckland, along with Dr Ella Henry and AUT pro-vice-chancellor Pare Keiha. He later worked in the business school where Henry says he made a huge impact on Māori business and management.

Defence Minister and nephew, Peeni Henare, posted on social media on Sunday conveying his sympathy for the loss of Dr Henare.

"Uncle Mānuka was an amazing academic who shed light on Māori economic history where he explained the complex economic activities of my ancestors who lived on and around Pouerua and Te Pēwhairangi," he said.

A whānau spokesperson confirmed that he will spend Monday night at Te Unga Waka marae in Auckland then his tūpāpāku will be taken back to his ancestral homeland in Whangapē in the Far North.

E kara, e Mānuka, moe mai rā koe i tō moengaroa.