Kingi Matutaera Ihaka was born at Te
Kao, Northland, in 1921. His great-grandfather,
Paraone Ngaruhe, signed the Treaty of Waitangi.
Kingi's father was a prominent Anglican, a
qualified interpreter, and a friend of Apirana
Ngata.
Kingi attended Te Kao Native School. In later life
he recalled that as a child he saw few Pakeha other
than his teacher and the district health nurse.
In 1936 Kingi went to St Stephen's School, south of
Auckland. In 1947 he entered St John's College,
Auckland, to train for the Anglican ministry. In
1958 he was transferred to Wellington. He combined
his ministry with the Red Cross, broadcasting and
tutoring at Ngati Poneke Maori Club. He became well
known for his compositions and direction of Maori
cultural groups at competitions.
In 1967 Ihaka was transferred to Auckland as
Auckland Maori missioner. His other interests
continued unabated and he was also involved with the
Auckland Festival Society, Lions Club, Tourist
Development Council, Polynesian Festival Committee.
In 1970 he was appointed a justice of the peace and
made an MBE. In 1981 he wrote Pukeko
in a Punga Tree.
From 1984 to 1987 Archdeacon Ihaka served as the
first resident Maori minister in Sydney.
Kingi Ihaka returned to New Zealand in 1987. He was
knighted in 1989 for his services to the Maori
people.
In October 1990 he became the second Maori language
commissioner. He defended the right of the New
Zealand women's rugby team to perform a haka at
Cardiff, saying that Ngati Porou and Waikato women
had done so for many years. He died in 1993, aged
71.
Full
essay in DNZB
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This page published Dec 1, 2000
