What you need to know: Māori King to be laid to rest, new monarch crowned
Wednesday, 4 September 2024
Official proceedings will take place on Thursday for the burial of Kīngi Tuheitia and the coronation of the new Māori monarch.
The Māori King died on August 30 after leading the Kīngitanga for 18 years.
His death means the eighth Māori monarch in 166 years will come to the throne of the king movement.
Here is what you need to know about what will take place today.
The coronation of the new monarch
Proceedings will begin at Tūrangawaewae Marae at 10am when the Tekau-mā-rua (the Kīngitanga advisory council) will usher the new Māori monarch to the throne.
This part of the day is called Te Whakawahinga (the raising up) ceremony for the King’s successor.
A Karakia Whakawahinga is expected to be conducted by Sir Pou Temara, then Tumuaki Hone Tāmihana will place a bible on the head of the Monarch, the same bible that Tumuaki Wiremu Tāmihana used to raise up the first Māori King Pōtatau Te Wherowhero in 1858.
Archbishop Don Tamihere will then say a karakia to bless the new Monarch with sacred oils.
The funeral of Kīngi Tuheitia
Te Whakawahinga will be followed by the funeral service for Kīngi Tūheitia.
At around 11.30pm he will then be taken from Tūrangawaewae Marae to the banks of the tupuna awa, Waikato River, where he will be guided by a guard of honour of Ngāti Māhanga and the New Zealand Defence Force.
Read this story in te reo Māori and English here. / Pānuitia_ tēnei i te reo Māori me te reo Pākehā ki konei._
A fleet of four waka – Taatahi Ora, Waikura, Tākitumu and Te Tīmatanga – will convey Kīngi Tūheitia to his final resting place, Taupiri Maunga, a journey that’s expected to take two hours.
The burial of the King
He will then be met at Taupiri by members of the Tūrangawaewae and Taniwharau rugby league clubs, and rope handlers from Raungaiti Rugby Club will carry the King to the summit of the maunga for burial.
Following the interment, the funeral procession will return to Tūrangawaewae Marae where the Tekau-mā-rua will lead the Whare Ariki (members of the royal house) on to the marae, followed by a hākari (feast) to conclude the tangihanga.
Air space, road and river closures
There will be a no-fly zone over Taupiri Maunga and the Waikato River will be closed between Pukete and Huntly boat ramps during the ceremony.
Motorists should expect SH1 congestion between Ngāruawāhia and Huntly on Thursday. There will be several local road closures and detours for the day, NZTA said.
SH1H Great South Rd in Ngāruawāhia will be closed between Market St and Starr Rd from 11.30am to 6pm.
River Rd will be closed from Duke St through to SH1H Great South Rd. The is via Duke St and Kelm Rd from 6am to 6pm.
Old Taupiri Rd will be closed at Galbraith St between 9am and 6pm.
SH1H Great South Rd will be closed from the roundabout at the intersection of SH1B and SH1H Great South Rd to the end of the passing lane into Huntly.
There will be a detour from the Tainui Bridge traffic lights in Huntly via Riverview Rd and Hakarimata Rd to Ngāruawāhia.
Temporary train service
Those attending the tangihanga will be able to use the passenger train being made available to transport attendees between Ngāruawāhia and Taupiri Maunga.
Temporary platforms will be located on Old Taupiri Rd and at Taupiri Maunga.
This is a chartered service and is expected to be for kuia and kaumātua to help them make their way to and from Taupiri Maunga.