Lady Mahuta, the widow of Sir Robert Mahuta, was co-negotiator for Tainui's Waikato River settlement. She had been battling myelofibrosis, a rare disease of the bone marrow, for seven years. Despite her illness she continued to work on tribal issues and chaired the Waikato Endowed College Trust (a project her late husband Sir Robert Mahuta founded) and also completed work on the $310 million Waikato river deal. She was also the Kaahui Ariki (Royal House) representative on the executive board of the Tainui tribe.