Ka tukuna atu a Ruruarau Heitia Hiha, kaitākaro o mua o te Kapa Ōpango Māori, ki te rua kōiwi o ōna mātua tīpuna ki Ahuriri. I mate ia i te Raapa kua hipa, e waru tekau ma rima tau tōna pakeke.
He poroporoaki ki te Totara haemata a Ruruarau Hiha.
Ko tā Hiha tama a Shane Hiha "He'll be remembered for his respect for other people. He touched a lot of people and everybody who talks about him, who has met him, they say that he's such a humble respectful man."
Ko tā kaumātua a Matiu Eru "He maha ngā pukenga i a ia. i a ia te katoa."
He kāumātua, kaiako hoki a Hiha. I tūtaki ia i tana hoa rangatira a Margaret ki te Kura Māhita o Ardmore. I te tau rima tekau mā whā i mārena raua, koinei hoki te tau i uru atu a Hiha ki te Kapa Ōpango Māori.
Hiha says "When he did finish rugby he was passionate about following and supporting my mother in her hockey, mum played for NZ hockey and for Hawkes Bay for many many years and I always remember when I was young dad would be on the side line yelling out for Hawkes Bay and really giving it full voice."
I tau te honore o te tohu Kāhui hiringa Aotearoa ki a ia mo ana mahi mo Ngai Māori.
Koia hoki tētahi i kōkiri i te kereme o te wāpū o Ahuriri; ahakoa kua whakaaetia te whakataunga kereme kaore ano kia eke i roto i ngā tau rua tekau neke atu.
Ko tā Hiha "there is a group of people working really hard to get it across the line finally, unfortunately it didn't happen before he passed away."
Ko tā eru "Ko ana mahi pea kore e mutu na reira kua oti i a ia te whakatauira mai me pēhea. Ko tā mātou te hunga kua mahue mai ki muri he whakahīkoi i ona korero."
I Pukemokimoki marae takoto ai a Hiha engari i whanau mai ia ki Petane Marae. I tēnei wā kei te ū te iwi kia whakatū tētahi whare hou engari i tuku mihi atu ia ki tōna wā kainga i tana haerenga whakamutunga.
Ko tā Eru "Koinei pea te whakamutunga mē ki te mātauranga o roto o Ahuriri nei. koia te whakamutunga i te mea koia tonu te kaikohikohi o ngā korero o roto i tēnei rohe."
Kua tukuna atu a Hiha ki te rua kōiwi o ōna mātua tīpuna ki te urupa o Petane marae.
