New Zealand Māori leader, Sir Ngātata Love, Died at 81

  Activist

Sir Ralph Herberley “Ngātata” Love was born on September 7, 1937, and died on October 17, 2018.

He was a New Zealand Treaty of Waitangi negotiator, academic and Māori leader.

Love was a Professor Emeritus of Business Development at Victoria University of Wellington’s Victoria Management School.

He was the son of the Te Ati Awa leader Sir Ralph Love.

He was educated at Wellington College and attended university part-time.

In the 2001 New Year Honours Love was appointed a Companion of the Queen’s Service Order for public services.

He was made a Principal Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori in the 2009 New Year Honours, and later that year accepted re-designation as a Knight Grand Companion of the same order following the restoration of titular honors by the New Zealand government.

At the same time Love stated that he is a supporter of a New Zealand republic and that “Even though I am an avowed republican, we must never abandon the history we share with Britain.

Particularly at times of conflict.

In March 2009, Love suggested that secondary students should have the option of going to wananga (Māori tertiary institutions) rather than staying at school.

In 2012 Love stepped aside from a number of positions representing Māori and the Serious Fraud Office said it was investigating a matter in relation to the Wellington Tenths Trust.

In August 2016, Love went on trial, accused of defrauding his iwi. The Crown accused Love of taking two payments worth $1.5 million in late 2006 and early 2007.

The payments were in exchange for showing favor toward Redwood Group, a property developer looking to develop Wellington Tenths Trust land near Parliament

Love was found guilty on September 1, 2016.

Love was subsequently sentenced to two and a half years imprisonment.

He died at his home in Korokoro and privately cremated without a tangi.

Sir Ngātata Love passed away at 81 years old.

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