Robert Mahuta

Sir Robert Te Kotahi Mahuta (26 April 1939 – 1 February 2001) was a prominent Māori politician. He was born Robert Jeremiah Ormsby and changed his name by deed poll.

Family He was born Robert Jeremiah Ormsby in Te Kūiti, on 26 April 1939. was Māori.

Robert Ormsby was adopted by King Korokī at four weeks old, and became the brother of Princess Piki, later the Māori Queen, Dame Te Atairangikaahu. He changed his name by deed poll to Robert Te Kotahi Mahuta when he was 24.

Mahuta married Raiha (née Edmonds) in 1964 and had one son and two daughters. His eldest is a son Tukaroto Mahuta (who has three sons and a daughter). His elder daughter, Nanaia, is a Labour MP (and has one son) and his younger daughter is Tipa (who has one daughter and a granddaughter).

Career Mahuta studied at the University of Auckland and the title of his master's thesis was Whaikōrero a study of formal Māori speech. He was the director of Māori Studies and Research at the University of Waikato from 1972 to 1977. He studied at Wolfson College, Oxford, in 1977.

Tributes He died in Hamilton aged 61. Robert Mahuta was a "warrior in the true sense", said former Member of Parliament Sir Douglas Graham.

"Sir Robert's achievements are unsurpassed, irrespective of the troubles in recent times," said former Minister of Māori Affairs, Parekura Horomia.