Ka manaaki tonu a Poutewhatewha Pirihimana a Hurimoana Dennis i te hunga kāinga kore hei tāna rītaia hei tērā tau. He harakore te whakatau māna i ngā whakapae kahaki taitama, tekau mā whitu tau te pakeke. Hei tā te māngai o te hōtaka Manaaki Tangata, he āhua rite ngā mahi ki āna mahi hei pirihimana, engari, he māmā ake i te marae o Te Puea.
E ārahia tonutia ana a Dennis e ngā kupu e Te Puea, ara, "Mahia te mahi, hei painga moo te iwi"
Hei tā Dennis, “Ahakoa te aha kei konei kei te harikoa ahau, nā te mea he tiaki atu, he manaaki atu ki ngā tangata rawa kore, e pōhara. He mahi ōrite ki ngā mahi kaitakawaenga pirihimana, engari ki au nei māmā noaiho kei konei.”
He manawa tau te wairua o Dennis i mahea ake nei ngā whakapae kahaki taitama e rua, kotahi te whakapae mō Heihana Vaughn Perry i te kōti teitei o Tāmaki Makaurau i tērā marama.
“The only thing we've done wrong is be very proud Māori officers, that's all.”
Nō te marama o Mahuru rua mano tekau mā rima, i whakatārewahia ai a Dennis hei kaitakawaenga rautaki Māori ā motu, whai muri i te whakatakotohanga mai o tētahi amuamu i tētahi taitama - tekau mā whitu anake tōna pakeke i taua wā.
“The last two and a half years of my life, and that of my family’s. Indeed, the last two weeks have been absolutely humiliating.”
I tērā tau tētehi kaimahi o te Minita Whare Pāpori o taua wā, o Paula Bennet, i whāki atu ai ngā āhuatanga o tana whakawātanga ki te ao pāpāho, whai muri i tana mātoro atu ki te marae. Wheoi, kua makere iho ngā toimahatanga ināianei kei te titiro whakamua a Dennis.
“Kei te hararei tonu ahau i waenganui o taku whanau. Koinā te mea nui ake. Heoi anō rā, kāore e tino mōhio he aha te huarahi mō Huri. Kāti rā kei raro i te titiro o Te Puea he pai ake te huarahi.”
Ko te matapae ka rītaia okawa nei a Dennis hei te marama o Paengawhāwhā, hei tōna tau toru tekau mā rua i Ngā Pirihimana o Aotearoa.
