June 18, 2018
Graceful princess Talei Morrison transformed kapa haka
Talei Morrison from died on Saturday of cervical cancer, a disease she used to last few months of her life to raise awareness of among Maori women through the Smear Your Mea campaign.
Kapa haka judge Pouroto Ngaropo says as a leader of Rotorua-based Te Matarae i Orehu the Ngati Whakaue wahine toa drew people out to watch.
"The way in which she held herself, when she did the poi the poi would come to life. She was a beautiful graceful princess, he penei te putiputi ataahua nei, the next minute she grabs a taiaha, she's a fierce warrior, so she was able to transform. A beautiful performer, one of the best I have ever seen in Te Arawa," he says.
He says Talei Morrison learned well from her Morrison whanau and tohunga like the late Irirangi Tiakiawa and Mita Mohi, and she was always generous about passing on that knowledge to others.
Talei Morrison is lying at Te Papaiouru Marae in Ohinemutu, where her funeral service will be held on Wednesday.
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