Ken Raureti was a humble, gentle giant who brought people together in an often divided world.
Now the man who never sought the spotlight is the centre of tributes, following his death at the weekend.
The iwi leader, mediator and environmental worker lost his long battle with cancer at the age of 68.
Described as a rangatira in every sense of the word, Raureti devoted his time to causes including Te Arawa’s lakes and his beloved Mt Tarawera.
He used his career skills as a mediator in his iwi work to preserve local assets for the future.
Raureti had a background in human resources and employment relations and worked for himself as a business management and mediation consultant.
He had been a member of the New Zealand Police Disciplinary Panel, Employment Relations Authority and chief mediator for the Department of Labour’s mediation service.
He was chairman of Ruawahia/Mt Tarawera 2B Trust, director of CNI Iwi Holdings, board member of New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute (Te Puia), trustee/board member of Te Mana o Ngati Rangitihi Trust, chairman of Te Arawa Lakes Trust fisheries management komiti whakahaere and chairman of the Bay of Plenty Department of Conservation Conservancy Board.
Te Arawa Lakes Trust chairman Wallace Haumaha said it was a “heavy loss” for everyone who called the lakes home.
“To lose a kaitiaki of such calibre is to lose a living library of matauranga, knowledge and a fierce protector of our wai,” Haumaha said.
“We say at Te Arawa Lakes Trust that the lakes are our heartbeat. If that is true, then today, our heart beats a little slower. We have lost a man who didn’t just walk beside the water, he carried the mauri [essence] of the water within him.”
Haumaha said Raureti did not seek the spotlight and “stood in the shadows of the raupō [wetlands] and the pōhutukawa”, doing the quiet, tireless mahi that others found too difficult.
“He looked at our lakes — our Rotorua, our Rotoiti, our Tarawera —and he didn’t just see a view. He saw an ancestor. He saw a provider. And most importantly, he saw a responsibility."
Haumaha said when Raureti learned the quality of the lakes was threatened by degradation, golden clams and invasive species, he didn’t just sit idle, he rolled up his sleeves.
“His passion wasn’t a loud, crashing wave — it was the steady, unstoppable tide. It was the commitment to ensure that the mokopuna of tomorrow could cast a line to fish, or dive into waters as clear as the ones he remembered from his own youth."
Haumaha said the trust would continue to guard the lakes.
“We will fight for the clarity of the water, just as you fought for us.”
Rangitihi Pene said Raureti was the face of Ngāti Rangitihi but would always honour everyone else in a humble way.
He said his passion for environmental matters was obvious.
“I remember him saying he had been to the top of Mt Tarawera about 100 times and that was because he was working with a group trying to get rid of those wilding pines.”
While working on Ngāti Rangitihi’s Treaty of Waitangi claim, Pene said Raureti was instrumental in a deal that saw the Pink and White Terraces [buried in the cliffs of Lake Rotomahana during the Mt Tarawera eruption] returned to his iwi and then handed on to Tūhourangi.
“That was largely Ken ... he worked with other iwi rather than cause confrontation.”
Kingi Biddle said Raureti was a staunch Ngāti Rangitihi leader who also served his Ngāti Whakaue iwi.
“Whenever there was a hui, kaupapa or tangi, he would always be here [at Tamatekapua Meeting House in Ōhinemutu].”
Biddle described Raureti as “sharp” intellectually.
“He was a gentle giant but also very smart ... Out of all the things Ken Raureti was, he was a tall athletic man who wasn’t afraid to show his heart. He was known as a peacemaker and the voice of calm.”
Former Tarawera Ultramarathon race director Tim Day said it was a privilege to know Raureti as a colleague and a friend, having worked with him on projects protecting the ngahere [bush/forest].
“Ken was a mighty man ... his gentle guidance, encouragement, mentorship, a stern word if needed, and immense care for people and the whenua have been pivotal to making Rotorua a better place.”
Day said he would often thank Raureti for helping the event share the local environment with manuhiri [guests] from across the world.
“And he would always selflessly turn it around to thank us for bringing the world to visit local whānau and whenua. He will be missed, but leaves a wonderful legacy. We would all do well to live a little more like Ken.”
Day said it was hard to find words to do justice to how treasured Raureti was.
“In a world that sometimes seems increasingly divided, Ken has always been a strong unifying presence that brings people together.”
Tarawera Ultra-Trail by UTMG regional director Tanya Carroll said she was flying back from Australia last night to pay her respects to Raureti.
“Ken played an immense role in championing Ngāti Rangitihi and the Te Arawa people and lands.”
She said he played a significant role in helping shape the event’s identity and storytelling.
“Most of all, Ken was passionate about passing on the kōrero of his people and place, welcoming the event and each and every runner to Te Arawa lands with the unique manaaki that the Te Arawa people are known for, and leaving runners with their cup more full than they arrived.”
She said he was “ever present” at their welcome pōhiri, on the start lines to wish runners well and bless their journey with karakia, and on the finish lines.
Te Puia New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute, and Waimangu Volcanic Valley chief executive Tim Cossar said Raureti’s legacy was reflected in the strength of the organisations he helped shape and the many people whose lives he touched.
“We are grateful for his service, his friendship and his unwavering commitment.”
Raureti was a human resources advisor to Te Puia from 2007 to 2011 before joining the board, where he served for nine years. During that time, he helped guide the organisation through an important chapter in its history, including the successful vesting of the business from the Crown back to iwi in July 2020.
Cossar said his contribution extended beyond governance.
“Ken was deeply connected to our people and our kaupapa. He regularly attended staff events, always showing a genuine love for the organisation and those who worked within it.”
He was heavily involved in the acquisition of Waimangu and later stepped into the role of chairman following the passing of Allan Skipwith.
“His leadership and guidance contributed significantly to Waimangu’s continued success.”
Te Arawa Catfish Killas paid tribute online to Raureti in a Facebook post, saying he was a fierce advocate for the Te Arawa lakes.
He was a warranted biosecurity officer on the lakes and would often be seen on the boat ramps talking to visitors and educating them on the lakes.
“He was a vessel of knowledge … always sharing korero and history,” the post said.
Raureti, who is survived by his wife, Cindy, lay in state at Te Papaiouru Marae until yesterday afternoon.
He was then returned to Rangiaohia Marae, in Matatā, to his people of Ngāti Rangitihi, where he will lie in state until his burial at Awakaponga Cemetery tomorrow.
A family spokesman noted his burial date fittingly coincided with the 140th anniversary of the Mt Tarawera eruption.
Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.