Honouring Kingi in Hamburg

A portrait of Mauriora Kingi will be forever shown beside whare Rauru at the Hamburg Museum of Ethnology in Germany. Photo / Supplied

Museum staff in Germany have acknowledged the passing of Mauriora Kingi and placed his portrait beside a whare in remembrance.

Mr Kingi was pivotal in the co-operation between the Hamburg Museum of Ethnology, which is the caretaker of whare Rauru.

Museum director Professor Wulf Kopke said he and museum staff felt they had "lost a friend and cousin".

In August 2011 he and fellow museum employee Dr Jeanette Kokott reached out to Mr Kingi for advice and guidance about whare Rauru's centenary in Germany.

"It was given wholeheartedly, humbly and wisely and formed the basis of a co-operation marked by respect, trust and friendship," Professor Kopke said. "As caretakers of whare Rauru we owe much to him and cherish his memory. Knowing him, his dedication, subtle humour and diplomatic ways was a privilege for us.

"He helped us to create the space of whare Rauru into an accepted turangawaewae for all Te Arawa and also into a port for all New Zealanders abroad. As part of the eight beating hearts of Te Arawa he showed us his big heart by willing to accept and include the German connections whare Rauru has burdened him with."

He said they sent their deepest sympathies to Mr Kingi's whanau, Tuhourangi hapu, all Te Arawa and the Rotorua community as a whole. "His portrait is shown from now on in whare Rauru to honour his remembrance and acknowledge the threads he has woven around the globe."

Mr Kingi led a delegation to Hamburg in 2011. At the time he said it was important to him and to others from Whakarewarewa.

"Rauru used to stand in Whakarewarewa. It is important for us who are from Whaka to celebrate its 100 years.

"For us, it's respecting our ancestors and the descendants of Rauru. It will probably never come home because it was sold. The people over there look after it really well - if it came home, we would be fighting over where we would put it."

Mr Kingi travelled around the world to places of significance to Te Arawa, such as Hinemihi in Clandon Park, England and the University of Cambridge which houses a lot of Te Arawa taonga.