11/01/2026
HE AITUA. Kua hinga te tōtara haemata o O Tawhiti Kaahu, o Waituhi.
Karaitiana “Mack” Tamatea, son of Jubilee and Pat Tamatea, passed away at 5pm today in the Waikato Hospital, surrounded by loved ones.
Mack - schooled in Turanga and an outstanding advocate in Education, especially Maori education from Wairarapa to Tauranga to the wider Waikato University catchment, along with outstanding leadership for Ngati Koroki Kahukura - will be sadly missed by friends, colleagues, many kura, Te Whare Wananga o Waikato, hapu, Iwi and loved ones.
Mack was also a staunch supporter of the Te Aitanga a Mahaki claims, mandating and ratification process and attended every Mahaki hui in the Waikato.
The whanau will have him at home tonight with close whanau members, only to have time with him.
Mack will eventually reach Maungatautari marae, where he will lie for the duration and then be buried in his urupa there at Maungatautari.
HE PANUI: Kia ora ano taatou. Mack is at his home now and tau. The whanau has asked for this time to be for them and their Ripaki/Tamatea and other close whanau to be with him.
Please respect this. Mack will lie here till 7am tomorrow morning (Monday 12th) and then, after Te Kura o Te Ata make his way back to Maungatautari marae with driveway bys to certain places to be locked in enroute to the marae.
But he will be back on Maungatautari marae on Monday morning and be in the hands of Ngati Koroki Kahukura and his Kara whanau for 2 nights and 2.5 days.
The funeral will be on Wednesday morning.
Nga mihi.
To leave a Tribute for our Whanau please follow the link below.
https://share.funeral.stream/x23L8
