Tainui is mourning the loss of one of their respected leaders and academics, Dr Tui Adams, who died on Sunday.
For more than 30 years, Dr Adams was the official spokesperson for the late Maori queen Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, Waatea News reports.
Dr Adams was a kaumatua of Te Wananga o Aotearoa and senior tutor of Te Arataki Manu Korero programme to assist Tainui elders to better understand their tribal customs and history.
He received a Queen Services Medal in 2000 for services to the Maori community.
Dr Adams will be buried on Wednesday.
