Tuini Ngāwai

Tuini Moetū Haangū Ngāwai (5 May 1910 – 12 August 1965) was a Māori songwriter, performer, teacher, shearer and cultural adviser.

Ngāwai taught Māori culture in schools, leaving in 1946 to work as a shearing gang supervisor.

Her legacy is recognised by contemporary kapa haka performers and composers, and it is thought she created over 200 concert party works.

[4] Many, such as "Hoki mai e tama mā" and "E te Hokowhitu-a-Tū" (to the tune of "In the Mood") are still sung today.

Her funeral ceremony (tangihanga) was held in the meeting house Te Hono-Ki-Rarotonga, at Pakirikiri Marae in Tokomaru Bay.

black and white image of a sweeping bay with small wooden houses and hills in the background
View of the northern end of Tokomaru Bay. Image taken between 1910–1930