Tributes flow after Kiingi Tuheitia dies

Friday, 30 August 2024

Kiingi Tūheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII has died, just a week after celebrating his 18th year as the Māori King. During his tangi, set to last five days, the Kiingitanga is expected to announce who will fill his shoes.

A “grassroots, humble” leader in Māoridom has died days after the 18th anniversary of his coronation.

Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII died on Friday morning, aged 69 and surrounded by whānau.

A spokesperson said he had been in hospital recovering from heart surgery.

There’s been a steady flow of tributes - from the British royal family to politicians and the NZ Olympic Committee - and flags were flown at half mast on government and public buildings in his honour.

King Charles sent his and Queen Camilla’s condolences and said in a statement that he “had the greatest pleasure of knowing Kiingi Tuheitia for decades”.

“He was deeply committed to forging a strong future for Māori and Aotearoa New Zealand founded upon culture, traditions and healing, which he carried out with wisdom and compassion.”

Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII died with whānau around him on Friday morning.

Kiingatanga spokesperson Rahui Papa said the death “is a moment of great sadness for followers of Te Kiingitanga, Maaoridom and the entire nation”.

The King is survived by his wife Makau Ariki and their three children, Whatumoana, Korotangi and Ngawai Hono I Te Po.

Kiingi Tuheitia’s focus on unity was a recurring theme in tributes, with others noting the “unwavering commitment” of the “fierce and staunch advocate”.

Māori health leader Lady Tureiti Moxon had caught up with the king a week earlier, at Koroneihana celebrations.

They were blessed to have that time with him, and he was still bringing people together, she said. “He never stopped.”

Mourners gather for the tangi of Kiingi Tuheitia at Tuurangawaewae Marae in Ngaaruawaahia.

'We know that he has had health issues over a long period of time but he has always rallied.”

He’d also been a prominent voice in a contentious period for Māori-Crown relations, bringing people together to find a way forward. 'He stood firm in unity,“ she said.

In a statement from Tonga, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon recalled the King’s kindness whenever the pair met at Tuurangawaewae.

Pictured earlier this year at a health centre opening, Kiingi Tuheitia is survived by three children. In the background is Māori health leader Lady Tureiti Moxon, who said people will ‘feel his loss greatly’.

“His unwavering commitment to his people and his tireless efforts to uphold the values and traditions of the Kiingitanga have left an indelible mark on our nation.

“I will remember his dedication to Aotearoa New Zealand, his commitment to mokopuna, his passion for te ao Māori, and his vision for a future where all people are treated with dignity and respect.”

Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said “Kiingi Tūheitia was grassroots, humble, not fluent or flashy in formalities, yet naturally prepared to serve and lead.”

Kiingi Tūheitia says Māori are more respected overseas than in Aotearoa.

And Ngāti Ranginui noted Kiingi Tuheitia’s commitment to his role despite ill health was “testament to his immense love for the people”.

The Tauranga Moana iwi’s chairperson Charlie Rahiri said the King “will be fondly remembered, amongst many other things, for his steely determination, drive for Kotahitanga and his passion for creating better futures for Māori”.

Governor General Dame Cindy Kiro said she had treasured memories of being at Waitangi and King Charles’ Coronation with the King and his wife.

He’d “built on the mahi of his forebears” and “inspired iwi Māori to hold fast to our identity and take pride in our reo”, she said.

Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters said on RNZ that it was a “a very, very sad day” for the Kiingitangi movement, the Tainui people, wider Māoridom and Europeans who admired him.

“It will be a state of serious grieving and rightly so,” Peters said on Morning Report.

ACT leader David Seymour expressed the party’s “sympathy and sincere condolences”.

Former prime minister Dame Jacinda Ardern said Kiingi Tuheitia had “been an advocate for Māori, for fairness, justice and prosperity.

“You wanted children, young people, and those who have been left behind to have opportunities and hope. You worked tirelessly on building understanding and knowledge of our shared history and in doing so, strengthening Aotearoa.

“And amongst all of that, you made everyone feel welcome - including me. Nga mihi nui, Kingi. Rest easy now.”

Kiingi Tuheitia blessed the Olympic cloak for the Paris games, and later attended the games with his whānau.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins said the king was a “fierce and staunch advocate” for Māoridom but also “for a better and more inclusive Aotearoa New Zealand”.

He noted that the king had not focussed on anger at the Government in a recent Koroneihana address, but rather “getting in the waka and working together”.

“Growing together is crucial,” the King said in his annual address. “We’ve come a long way as a country, and we can go even further - let’s not give up now.”

Kiingi Tuheitia during a 2020 visit of Government ministers to Te Kōhao Health in Hamilton.

The Green Party said his legacy was “one of unity, kindness and truly listening to understand”.

“Kiingi Tuuheitia’s ability to deliver incisive, unapologetic, profound truths on open hearts and ears was a testament to how he navigated the world and embodied tino rangatiratanga,” co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick said. “His deep passion for this planet and all who lived on it - from our tamariki, to the creatures in our oceans and forests - was palpable.”

The Public Service Association’s Te Kaihautū Māori Janice Panoho said Kiingi Tuheitia had been “a voice of reason and unity at time when these attributes were sorely needed'.

The King also attended the Olympics in Paris in July, the first Māori monarch to attend.

Hosting him and his whānau in Paris was an honour, New Zealand Olympic Committee - Te Whare o Pou Tangata committee president Liz Dawson said.

He was an avid sport supporter, committee chairperson Diana Puketapu-Lyndon said, and inspired the athletes.

Kīingitanga chief of staff Ngira Simmonds told RNZ’s Morning Report that Kiingi Tuheitia’s surgery had not been as successful as hoped.

'He served to the very last.'

Kiingi Tuheitia will lie in state at Tuurangawaewae Marae before being taken to his final resting place at Taupiri Mountain.

A further notice is due on when the kiingi can be visited at Tuurangawaewae.