In Memoriam: Sir Tumu Te Heuheu Tūkino VIII (1941 – 2025)

It is with profound sadness that the UNESCO World Heritage Centre acknowledges the passing of Sir Tumu Te Heuheu Tūkino VIII, paramount chief of Ngāti Tūwharetoa, on 23 September 2025. His loss is deeply felt across Aotearoa New Zealand, the Māori world, and the global heritage community.

A respected and visionary leader, Sir Tumu devoted his life to heritage preservation and the promotion of an inclusive approach, respectful of Indigenous culture and knowledge. The first (and to date only) New Zealander to serve as Chair of the World Heritage Committee, he led the Committee’s 31st session in Christchurch in 2007. On this occasion, Sir Tumu presided over important dialogues among Indigenous, national, and international heritage communities, reinforcing the need for inclusive governance, community engagement, and respect for diverse knowledge systems within the World Heritage family.

His tenure is particularly notable for the introduction of the “fifth C”, Communities, into the Strategic Objectives of the World Heritage Committee. This addition emphasized the importance of involving all stakeholders, custodians, and living communities associated with heritage places, marking a crucial milestone in the evolution of the Convention’s guiding framework.

Perhaps his most enduring legacy in the international heritage sphere is his pivotal role in securing Tongariro National Park’s inscription as a mixed (natural and cultural) World Heritage property in 1993 — the first site in the history of the Convention to be inscribed as a Cultural Landscape. Sir Tumu advanced a vision in which landscapes and ecosystems are inseparable from their ancestral, spiritual, and cultural connections.

His advocacy went beyond formal processes: he brought Māori principles, values, and voices to the world stage, affirming that intangible heritage — beliefs, traditions, spiritual relationships to land and water — deserves equal respect in heritage practices. He also encouraged collaboration among Indigenous Peoples, governments, civil society, and international heritage bodies to protect natural and cultural values in an integrated way and to foster intergenerational transmission.

For the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Sir Tumu’s life is a reminder of the essential role of moral authority, cultural rootedness, and international engagement in enriching the World Heritage system.

The UNESCO World Heritage Centre extends its deepest condolences to his family, the Ngāti Tūwharetoa people, his friends, and all who mourn his passing. May his legacy continue to inspire the safeguarding of our shared heritage.

Moe mai rā e te rangatira — rest now, noble guardian.