A stern but loving auntie, a woman of unshakeable principle, the very definition of a wāhine toa - those are just a few of the tributes flooding in for Dame Tariana Turia.
Kahurangi (Dame) Tariana died in the early hours of Friday morning at Whangaehu Marae, near Whanganui. She was 80.
She had been surrounded by whānau since suffering a stroke a few days earlier.
Her career as an MP spanned from 1996 to 2014, a career that saw her serve as a minister in both Labour and National-led governments, introduce the far-reaching Whānau Ora programme - something she later described as her proudest achievement - and famously cross the floor to vote against her then-Labour Party colleagues and the controversial Foreshore and Seabed Bill.
That split ultimately led her and Dr Pita Sharples to start the Māori Party, and break Labour's stranglehold on the Māori seats.
Whānau spokesman Che Wilson said he was lucky to have known the loving side of "Auntie Tari".
"Though stern, she was very fair. And the thing with Auntie is she cared and she was an example of faith. She believed in people and believed that people could transform themselves," he said.
"There were many times she'd bring somebody home and Uncle George would go, 'Oh, Tari, I'm not sure if we can save this one', but she believed that she could help them, and she believed that she could stoke enough fire for them to believe in themselves, to then help themselves rather than just doing it for them and not changing anything. And that was her. People got to see that through Whānau Ora, because she did it at home."
Wilson said Dame Tariana would have credited her mother and aunties for making her who she was.
"Their messages were pretty simple: Be good, do well, work hard, and care. I think it's the last one she really showed."
Wilson said the whānau had had time to prepare for her passing.
"But nothing actually prepares you fully, so there's a heap of sadness. The grief started when she had a stroke. We're still navigating grief, and we'll do that for weeks and months after the funeral, but right now we're focused on giving our aunty, mum, nan, the best send-off."
Their grief was, however, tempered by pride.
"As a family they often lamented her not being there. But in the same breath, they were always proud of the work she did, because the conviction she showed publicly was no different at home."
Friday and Saturday would be a time for her whānau and iwi to gather at Putiki Marae and in Whangaehu.
On Sunday and Monday, others were welcome to visit and pay their respects.
Dame Tariana's nehu (burial) would be held on January 7.
"I thought the world of her … There are a lot of people I've admired in politics, ones I opposed and ones with whom I served, but I don't think there was anyone better than Tariana. I thought she was just a fantastic human being and an outstanding contributor to New Zealand's public life."
Finlayson was especially admiring of her stand on Labour's Foreshore and Seabed Bill in 2004.
"It takes a lot of courage to stand up to your enemies, but it takes even more courage to stand up to your friends. She was a very loyal and dedicated Labour Party supporter, and was elected on their list and then won her seat. But she took a principled stand and left the Labour Party. She always acted on principle and totally without rancour, but she was as tough as old boots."
The former National minister said Dame Tariana stood out in Parliament for her style.
"She wasn't a yeller or a screamer. She was quiet and dignified and she reminded us that politics is not about the acquisition of power or holding office. It's about acting according to one's conscience for the benefit of the nation. So there should be no surprises when I say she was my favourite politician."
"Any attempt to redefine what Tariana and I agreed would be undermining both the spirit and the letter of the 2011 legislation."
Other tributes have come from Dame Tariana's successors in Te Pāti Māori, who said it was a sad day for the party, and Te Iwi Māori, as they mourned the passing of a beloved former leader.
"Whāea Tariana crossed the floor against all odds … to ensure our people's voice would never be silenced, exterminated or assimilated. Her legacy will forever be etched in the fabric of our nation's history," the party said in a post social media.
"She is the absolute epitome of strength and steadfast determination and leadership our people needed at a time of great uncertainty. She gave us hope and courage to believe in ourselves to determine our own future."
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer paid tribute to "an amazing, hugely committed and dedicated mum and nan to her immediate whānau and to the wider community".
"There's probably not a single whānau around us that she hasn't helped raise the rangatahi," Ngarewa-Packer said.
"One of the things I really love and will miss about Whaea Tariana is that she always, always had time for whānau and always reminds us of the significance of not leaving people behind and looking after everyone.
"So she's a huge loss, particularly for her mokopuna, who just adored her and I feel for them because they have been so generous to us in Te ao Māori and Aotearoa in sharing their nan and their mum.
"In politics, the way she created Te Pāti Māori and Whānau Ora, those are all really significant kaupapa, not to be matched, but most importantly for us on the ground was her huge dedication, compassion and belief in whānau and not leaving anyone behind and making a better world for everyone."
Among other tributes, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said Dame Tariana never swayed from her values and doing what she believed to be right; while Labour leader Chris Hipkins said she was "the very definition of a wāhine toa" whose "relentless commitment to the betterment of Māori and the upholding of Te Tiriti was beyond admirable".
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick described Dame Tariana as "a formidable leader who carved history with her love, care and unshakeable sense of justice".
