The Hon. Dame Tariana Turia DNZM passed on 3 January 2025. An exemplary leader, her legacy is one of deep commitment and love for her people. To quote whaea Debbie Ngarewa-Packer MP, the current co-leader of Te Pāti Māori, whaea Tariana was
“A woman who lived with intention. She was a woman who never ever forgot her roots, who she was here to serve, and made sure we never forgot that as well…she never gave up, same with the spirit of bringing Te Pāti Māori back to life. She never ever let us give up, and I think….the korero that we must reflect about whaea Tariana is that our māhi is not done, there is so much to do, and…up until the recent hikōi she was reminding us of our responsibility, our obligation to leave no one behind”.
In 2004, the Foreshore and Seabed Act was passed in the parliament of New Zealand, under the then Labour government. The passage of this bill was a major breach of Te Tiriti rights, and an example of how the Kāwanatanga space creates legal provisions through which land and resource grabbing is institutionalized. Whaea Tariana, then a Labour MP, took a bold and unwavering stance, and ‘crossed the floor’, leaving the New Zealand Labour Party.
She then took the boldest move - creating a Tino Rangatiratanga and Mana motuhake-focused political party - Te Pāti Māori. In the resulting by-election, whaea Tariana was re-elected with a resounding majority. In retrospect, this moment can be considered as a watershed in the political history of Aotearoa New Zealand in the 21st century. This new party was unlike any other political party. Although it operated in the kāwanatanga space by standing for elections and working with the mechanisms in place, it was deeply centred in the Rangatiratanga space - that of Tangata whenua, or the people indigenous to the land - the Māori people. Very soon, it turned out to be clear that there was a need for a political party of this nature, that prioritized the rights and agency of Tangata whenua.
Over the years, whaea Tariana’s political experiment has grown exponentially, with six MPs being returned at the 2023 general election. As the ACT coalition government pushed through the so-called Treaty Principles Bill, Tangata whenua mobilized through the Toitū Te Tiriti campaign, garnering a great deal of support from Tangata Tiriti and Tangata Moana alike. Although Prime Minister Chris Luxon has admitted that the bill will not pass, it has already caused a great deal of damage. It has also been political disadvantageous to the ruling coalition. The silver lining of the ACT government’s resolve to challenge Te Tiriti O Waitangi is how it has brought people together. The Toitū Te Tirti campaign has resulted in a situation where many Tangata Tiriti now claim that the would vote for the Māori Party at future elections. The Māori Party’s steadfast commitment to support the Palestinian community in Aotearoa, and take a bold stand against the ongoing Nakba in Palestine, has also earned it much credibility.
Critiques of whaea Tariana’s political career notably include Te Pāti Māori’s decision to support the ACT government of John Key and her long-standing displeasure with the New Zealand Labour Party. These critiques do offer much food for thought. However, politicians to take decisions on calculations based on the power dynamics of the precise moments they find themselves in. While the critiques of whaea Tariana’s political decisions are thought-provoking, they do not discount in any way the vital contributions she made to the politics of Aotearoa New Zealand, by creating Te Pāti Māori and laying the foundations for that movement to grow.

To any woman aspiring a career in politics, whaea Tariana’s career can provide several invaluable lessons. These notably include (and are not limited to) the following :
Upholding a bold approach to politics, and be prepared to take risks. When she walked out of the New Zealand Labour Party and created Te Pāti Māori, in her own admission, there were people who warned her against the potential risks of such a move, that it could be a dangerous political gamble. She took stock of all such perspectives, and opted to stay true to her principles and stand resolutely with the project she had in mind. In politics (and indeed in any other aspect of life for that matter) this is one of the toughest ventures. Whaea Tariana’s career is one that teaches valuable lessons on calculating, strategizing, being prepared to take risks, and daring to conceptualize, implement and achieve better outcomes.
Most importantly, being true to one’s principles and not compromising on them, in the face of political pressure or offers of perks of any kind. Staying true to one’s principles no matter what can also be very challenging in politics, but it is the most rewarding move.
Centring one’s people in informing one’s strategy, plan, and way forward. When faced with substantive political challenges, whaea Tariana’s strategy was one of unconditionally and resolutely standing with the interests of her people. This is the core that enabled her to move ahead strategically, make realistic calculations, act upon them, and achieve the intended results successfully.
Here’s non-exhaustive list of some of whaea Tariana’s public appearances, articles on her legacy, interviews, and a link to her biography. I have added notes to some of these links. This list concludes with a few academic papers that are of relevance to whaea Tariana’s political career and policy priorities. If you notice that any significant resources are absent in this list, you are most welcome to share them in the comments.
Valedictory Statement, Parliament of New Zealand, 24 July 2014, Part 6:
Valedictory Statement, Parliament of New Zealand, 24 July 2014, Part 5:
Keynote speech, Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu, 1 April 2018
Interview with Hon. Dame Tariana Turia. Matangireia, E.02, 26 September 2019, RNZ.
Hon Dame Tariana Turia, interviewed by Whaea Mariameno Kapa-Kingi MP. Te Pāti Māori, 27 July 2020. To view the interview, click here.
Keeping Our Promise: Takutai Moana Bill - Interview with Tariana Turia, Te Pāti Māori, 11 February 2011. View the interview here.
Maiden speech by Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, where he refers to the game-changing legacy of Whaea Tariana Turia, (5:21 onwards), 11 February 2021:
Obit: Dame Tariana Turia has died. RNZ, 3 January 2025. Read here.
Tariana Turia: A dance and a motorbike ride. Interview with Hon. Dame Tariana Turia. by Dale Husband, E-Tangata, 12 August 2018. Read here.
Remarks by whaea Debbie Ngarewa-Packer MP, Co-leader of Te Pāti Māori, at the funeral proceedings of The Hon. Dame Tariana Turia, January 2025. Te ao Māori News, 3 January 2025. Watch here.
Crossing the Floor: The Story of Tariana Turia, biography of The Hon. Tariana Turia, by Helen Leahy. Te Whangaui-a-Tara: Huia Publishers. Purchase the book here.
A politician for the people: Dame Tariana Turia, 1944-2025, by Miriama Aoake, The Spinoff, 3 January 2025. Read here.
Tariana Turia: looking ahead to a tobacco-free New Zealand, by Richard Lane. The LANCET, 14 March 2015. Read and download PDF here.
List of entries related to Whaea Tariana Turia, The catalogue of the National Library of Aotearoa New Zealand. View the list here.
Live updates on the funeral of The Hon. Dame Tariana Turia, Te Ao Māori News, 7 January 2025. View here.
In Memoriam: Dame Tariana Turia, 1944-2025, by Liam Hehir. Substack, 4 January 2025. Read here. NB: This article is written from a problematic perspective, of commitment to the false notion of ‘centrism’, in the politics of the Kāwanatanga space, which is deliberately intended at watering down the political demands, aspirations and strategizing of the Rangatiratanga space. While the writer talks positively about Dame Tariana, he also downgrades and makes negative comments about the current President of Te Pāti Māori, and also makes overall negative comments about Te Pāti Māori, its political strategy and messaging. These comments are made from a place of racial, political and xenophobic bias, and without an adequate appraisal of the historic crimes of colonization, dishonouring Te Tiriti, and all other atrocities Te ao Māori has been forced to suffer since the British occupation of their land. Due to these reasons and more, the approach this writer takes in this article is deeply disrespectful and problematic. This article is included in this list simply to highlight that commentaries and inanities of this nature are also in fact part and parcel of politics of the kāwanatanga space, and such bitter realities do exist in many other parts of the world that have suffered the pangs of colonial violence and occupation.
Dame Tariana Turia ‘stood on her principles and she won’. by Mike Tweed. NewtalkZB, 3 January 2025. Read here.
Q&A: Tariana Turia. Te Puna Whakaiti Pāmamae Kai Whakapiri/New Zealand Drug Foundation. 1 May 2013. Read here. NB: Whaea Tariana was a staunch advocate against smoking and tobacco use, with a core focus on Māori health and wellbeing - priorities that have been categorically disregarded and neglected by the ruling ACT coalition government.
Tariana Turia: A time for other stories to be told, an article written by Dame Tariana Turia, evoking her friendship with her friend Dr Moana Jackson. E-Tangata, 3 April 2022. Read here. NB: This article is a brilliant round-up of the enduring legacy of Dr Moana Jackson and the vital significance of his body of work, especially for decolonial politics.
Kahurangi Tariana Turia 1944 - 2025: Eru Kapa-Kingi speaks at Whangaehu Marae. Te Ao Māori News. Footage from the funeral proceedings, 5 January 2025. View here.
Academic Papers
It is also of interest to add to complement the above list with several academic analyses that concern aspects of Whaea Tariana’s political career. The articles listed below do not directly address the work of Whaea Tariana, but are very closely interconnected to her body of work as a Rangatira, and a Rangatira legislator operating in the kāwanatanga space.
Phelan, Sean, and Fiona Shearer. 2009. “THE ‘RADICAL’, THE ‘ACTIVIST’ AND THE HEGEMONIC NEWSPAPER ARTICULATION OF THE AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND FORESHORE AND SEABED CONFLICT.” Journalism Studies 10 (2): 220–37. doi:10.1080/14616700802374183.
Humpage, Louise. 2003. “A State-Determined ‘Solution’ For Māori Self-Determination: The New Zealand Public Health And Disability Bill1.” Political Science 55 (1): 5–19. doi:10.1177/003231870305500102.
White, Te Hau. 2016. “A Difference of Perspective? Māori Members of Parliament and Te Ao Māori in Parliament.” Political Science 68 (2): 175–91. doi:10.1177/0032318716678446.
MacDonald, David B. 2003. “Daring to Compare: The Debate about a Maori ‘Holocaust’ in New Zealand”1 .” Journal of Genocide Research 5 (3): 383–403. doi:10.1080/1462352032000154624. CW: This is an article written from a very questionable perspective of a Pākehā, if not colonizer’s view of political discourses of the Rangatiratanga space. In Te ao Māori, just as in any other marginalized communities, people have the right to draw the analogies that make sense to them, draw comparative insights from the struggles and travails of other people and communities they can relate to. None of these are reasons to belittle and downgrade the struggles of indigenous people [or for that matter any oppressed minority] against past and present colonialist oppression. This is precisely the kind of supposedly ‘academic’ analysis that requires critique [and should I say facts-based condemnation] in academic work that focuses on decolonial feminist worldmaking. Such critiques should of course target the arguments made and the epistemological erroneousness involved [avoiding drifts into personal attacks of any shape or form].
Dormer, Rodney. 2014. “Whānau Ora and the Collaborative Turn.” International Journal of Public Administration 37 (12): 835–45. doi:10.1080/01900692.2014.917101.
Gagné, Natacha. 2008. “On the Ethnicisation of New Zealand Politics: The Foreshore and Seabed Controversy in Context1 .” The Asia Pacific Journal of Anthropology 9 (2): 123–40. doi:10.1080/14442210802023657.
Humpage, Louise. “Indigenous Peoples Embedded in Neoliberal Governance: Has the Māori Party Achieved Its Social Policy Goals in New Zealand?” In The Neoliberal State, Recognition and Indigenous Rights: New Paternalism to New Imaginings, edited by Deirdre Howard-Wagner, Maria Bargh, and Isabel Altamirano-Jiménez, 40:257–72. ANU Press, 2018. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv5cgbkm.21.
VOWLES, JACK, HILDE COFFÉ, and JENNIFER CURTIN. “Against the Tide?: Māori in the Māori Electorates.” In A Bark But No Bite: Inequality and the 2014 New Zealand General Election, 215–40. ANU Press, 2017. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1vw0p68.16.
Greaves, Lara, Ella Morgan, and Janine Hayward. “Resisting the Red Wave?: The Māori Party’s Return to Parliament.” In A Team of Five Million?: The 2020 “Covid-19” New Zealand General Election, edited by JENNIFER CURTIN, LARA GREAVES, and JACK VOWLES, 1st ed., 129–56. ANU Press, 2024. http://www.jstor.org/stable/jj.17286118.12. NB: This is an insightful and informative analysis of the success of Te Pāti Māori at the 2020 New Zealand general election. However, it is written from the confines of the Kāwanatanga space, which prevents the authors from critically engaging with the policy shifts – if not policy sharpening – in Te Pāti Māori under the co-leadership of Rawiri Waititi MP and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer MP. Te Pāti Māori is conceptualized as a small, minority if not fringe political persuasion that operates in the kāwanatanga space, and not as a political entity composed of Rangatira, centred around Tino Rangatiratanga. Due to this methodological error, a considerable set of nuances are missed (a common feature of many scholarly analyses not only of Te Pāti Māori, but also of other indigenous people-led political persuasions elsewhere as well).