New Māori monarch named: Queen Ngā Wai hono i te po Paki
Thursday, 5 September 2024
Ngā Wai hono i te po Paki is the second woman, after her late grandmother, Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, to lead the Kīngitanga Movement.
Queen Ngā Wai hono i te po is the youngest child of Kīngi Tūheitia and his wife, Te Atawhai.
The new Queen will be supported by her two brothers, Korotangi and Whatumoana Paki.
The youngest child of three and only daughter of Kīngi Tūheitia and his wife Makau Ariki Atawhai is now the new leader of the Kīngitanga movement.
Kuini (Queen) Ngā Wai hono i te po Paki was anointed as her father, Kīngi Tūheitia, lay in state beside her, an image similar to his own ascension almost 18 years earlier at Tūrangawaewae Marae in Ngāruawāhia - the headquarters of the Kīngitanga Movement.
The new kuini is a direct descendant of the first Māori King, Pōtatau Te Wherowhero, who was installed in 1858. She is the eighth monarch to lead the movement, her ascension to the throne just a few weeks shy of her late father’s coronation on August 21, 2006.
Kuini Ngā Wai hono i te po Paki is only the second female to lead the movement. Her grandmother, Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, was the longest-serving Māori monarch, from 1966 to 2006.
Kuini Ngā Wai hono i te po is relatively young, 27.
She was educated at Te Whare Kura o Rakaumanga in Huntly and received a Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship in 2016.
She is a graduate of the University of Waikato, completing a Bachelor of Arts followed by a Master of Arts Degree with First Class Honours in 2022.
Born on January 13, 1997, the new monarch was only nine when her father took the throne..
Te Kuini received her moko kauae in 2016 to support and acknowledge her father and describes it as her gift to him. Kapa haka is her passion and one that has been nurtured by her parents and whānau since the age of three. She has previously performed with several kapa haka groups at the Te Matatini national kapa haka festival.
Prior to her succession Te Kuini served in several governance roles as representative of the Kīngitanga, including the Te Kohanga Reo National Trust and the Waitangi National Trust.
Politicians have welcomed the new monarch.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the new Ariki Nui, could bring “hope”.
In a statement, Luxon paid tribute to Kīngi Tūheitia.
“Kiingi Tuheitia was a humble leader who served his people with wisdom, mana and an unwavering commitment to Kotahitanga,” Luxon said.
“Over the last few days, thousands of people have gathered at Turangawaewae from all corners of our country to pay their respects – a testament to the profound impact Kiingi Tuheitia has had on so many lives.”
Luxon attended the tangi at Turangawaewae on Saturday, with other MPs and officials - including the Govenor General - also paying tribute at Turangawaewae throughout the week.
“As Kiingi Tuheitia makes his final journey from Turangawaewae, we reflect on his legacy and look to the future with hope and anticipation,” Luxon said.
“We welcome the Upoko Ariki, Ngawai hono i te po, who carries forward the mantle of leadership left by her father. The path ahead is illuminated by the great legacy of Kiingi Tuheitia.”
Labour leader Chris Hipkins said Thursday would go down a historic moment in the nation’s history, “as the day the torch was passed on from one legendary unifier to another”.
“Kuīni Ngā Wai hono i te po Paki commands an incredible wealth of mātauranga Māori, a love for Toi Māori and is committed to looking after her people,” Hipkins said.
Teanau Tuiono, the chairperson of the party’s Māori and Pasifika caucus, said he hoped to work with the new Queen.
“As we have seen in recent days, with so many people coming together from across the motu to mark the passing of Kiingi Tuuheitia, kotahitanga is the beating heart of our country and provides a way forward as we confront the major challenges of our time,” he said.
“The Green Party looks forward to working with the Kiingitanga under the leadership of Te Arikinui Nga Wai Hono i te Po.”
The process of anointing the Māori monarch - Te Whakawahinga - is steeped in tikanga, a tradition which began with her tupuna, the first Māori King.
Tumuaki Hone Tāmihana will place a bible on her head, using the same bible that his direct ancestor 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. Following the sacred ceremony, the funeral service for Tūheitia will begin followed by his burial at Taupiri Maunga.
The Kīngitanga Movement, which is one of New Zealand’s oldest political institutions, was started as a way to unite iwi across the country to prevent the alienation of Māori land.
There have been eight leaders of the Kīngitanga movement:
Pōtatau Te Wherowhero 1858-1860
Tāwhiao 1860-1894
Mahuta 1894-1912
Te Rata 1912-1933
Koroki 1933-1966
Te Atairangikaahu 1966-2006
Tūheitia 2006-2024
Ngā Wai hono i te po 2024