Protesters at Bastion Point. Photo:
Auckland councillors have paid tribute to Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei leader Pakihana Grant Hawke.
Among his many roles, Hawke was the inaugural chair of the Ngāti Whātua Reserves Board, guiding the guardianship of Bastion Point.
He was also involved in the occupation of Bastion Point in protest to the Crown sale of Ngāti Whātua land.
Desley Simpson Photo: RNZ / Finn Blackwell
Deputy mayor and Ōrākei councillor Desley Simpson praised Hakwe's courageous activism.
"He was there at Bastion Point standing with his whānau for 506 days, enduring arrest and imprisonment, not for himself, but for his people and their future.
"His convictions cost him, but they also forged his mana, giving him a voice heard across marae, councils, conservation boards, and even on the world's stage.
"He could be tough, but his style of leadership was grounded in humility, quiet strength, and respect.
"Those who knew him well speak of a man who inspired without demanding, taught by example, and combined Māori and Pākehā perspectives to build bridges where others only saw divides."
She said Hawke played a crucial role in improving the city's water quality.
"Grant's journey began long before the boardroom. There are stories of him as a boy swimming in the polluted waters of Okahu Bay, playing among the sewerage outfall where the local kids would pick up condoms off the beach and catapult them at each other. It was only after the heartbreaking loss of cousins to disease that he saw the danger for what it was.
"At just 16 years old, he stood before the Auckland Drainage Board and said in plain words, get your crap out of the water."
The councillors had a minute's silence to honour Hawke at the start of their final meeting on Thursday before local body elections.
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