Death of Kiingi Tuheitia, Māori king
The Sky Tower will turn off its lights tonight to mark the burial of Kiingi Tuuheitia Pootatua Te Wherowhero VII.
This follows a request from the Minister of Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith for the New Zealand flag to be flown at half-mast on all government and public buildings today.
The new Māori monarch is accompanying her father the late Kiingi Tuheitia as part of the waka flotilla to his final resting place.
This morning Kuini Nga wai hono i te po was proclaimed as the eighth Māori monarch and second Māori Queen at Turangawaewae Marae.
Thousands of mourners gather alongside the banks of the Waikato River to say their final goodbyes.
The waka carrying Kiingi Tuheitia is expected to take two hours to travel down the awa, accompanied by a flotilla of six other waka.
He will be buried at Taupiri Maunga at about 3pm.
Rugby league teams will carry him about 300 steps up the steep maunga.
Kiingi Tuheitia is being carried to his final resting place in a waka crafted specifically to honour him.
It is travelling Waikato River with waka from other tribes, before he is taken to be buried at Taupiri Maunga.
Kiingitanga chief of staff Ngira Simmonds says the river journey is a special honour reserved for the royal family, and particularly important in this case.
Simmonds says all parts of the ceremony are open to all who want to share in the loss of the King.
PM pays tribute to Kiingi Tuuheitia
As Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII is laid to rest today, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has paid tribute to a leader whose commitment to Kotahitanga will have a lasting impact on our country.
“Kiingi Tuheitia was a humble leader who served his people with wisdom, mana and an unwavering commitment to Kotahitanga,” Luxon says.
“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.
“As Kiingi Tuheitia makes his final journey from Turangawaewae, we reflect on his legacy and look to the future with hope and anticipation.
“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.”
The waka carrying Kiingi Tuheitia has been launched.
Mourners are crowding both sides of the river many giving karanga to send the King off.
New Māori Queen named
Ngawai Hono i te Po Paki is the new Māori Queen.
She is the daughter of Kiingi Tuheitia.
Ngawai Hono i te Po Paki is the eighth Māori monarch and the second woman.
The first woman to hold the position was her grandmother, Te Arikinui Te Atairangikaahu, who died in 2006.
Just moments now until the new monarch is unveiled.
People flock to the maunga
Meanwhile over at Taupiri maunga people have flocked to the foot of the mountain as they wait for the arrival of Kiingi Tuheitia.
Cars and people are lining the sides of the road and traffic controllers have been hard at work hours before the King is due to arrive.
Parking is limited, and traffic controllers are asking people to park further down the road as more people arrive.
Statement from Te Matatini
Te Matatini joins with the motu in expressing our heartfelt sadness and grief at the passing of Kiingi Tuheitia Potatau Te Wherowhero te tua whitu. We send our aroha and sympathy to his wife, Te Makau Ariki Atawhai, his children Whatumoana, Nga Wai Hono I Te Po and Korotangi, his mokopuna and the Kahui Ariki.
Over the past 18 years, Kiingi Tuheitia established his own brand of leadership, quiet, humble and a staunch advocate for Kotahitanga, the unity of te Ao Māori and, Mana Motuhake, the expressed right and authority of iwi and hapu over their taonga, their uri, whenua, moana, reo me ona tikanga.
Kiingi Tuheitia also carried on the legacy of his mother, the Late Te Arikinui Dame Te Ataairangi Kaahu in maintaining our relationships with our tuakana, teina o te Moana nui a Kiwa. He was very supportive of young people, encouraging them to join with their elders in expressing their views on kaupapa Māori.
"Kiingi Tuheitia was the Patron of Te Matatini. As a previous performer for Taniwharau, he had a great appreciation and love of kapa haka, and I will miss his quiet but enthusiastic presence at the biannual Te Matatini Festival," said Ta Selwyn Parata, Chairman of Te Matatini Society Incorporated.
Ta Selwyn had a close bond with Tuheitia as they were both Tipene old boys, enjoyed haka, sports and being together to celebrate the many triumphs of te iwi Māori.
Te Ao Haka grieves the loss of this great leader, husband, father, tipuna and friend. E te Kingi, e te hoa, moe mai ra.
Earlier, RNZ spoke to Te Pāti Māori president John Tamihere on his memories of Kiingi Tuheitia. Listen here:
'A unifying pou' - Whakaata Māori television
Whakaata Māori extends heartfelt condolences to the whānau of Kiingi Tuheitia Potatau Te Wherowhero VII on his passing.
Kaihautū Shane Taurima honours the late Kiingi Tuheitia, acknowledging the profound impact his passing will have on te ao Māori and the entire nation.
"He will be remembered as a unifying pou, around which Māori could gather to build consensus on key kaupapa," says Shane Taurima.
"Kiingi Tuheitia brought te ao Māori together - most recently in a call of Kotahitanga at the Hui-ā Motu at Tuurangawaewae marae in January. More than 10,000 presented a united front to challenge the government proposals around Te Tiriti o Waitangi and te reo Māori."
"The mass attendance from te ao Māori at that gathering reflected the significant influence of the Kiingitanga across our communities."
"And now, once again, we are called back to Tuurangawaewae. The nation will come together to mourn his loss, share our condolences and to remember his late mother, Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, his father the late Whatumoana Paki, his grandfather the late Kiingi Koroki and all those who came before them."
"We were honoured to have Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu attend the opening of Māori Television in 2004. Kiingi Tuheitia became a loyal supporter. He opened our new premises in East Tamaki in 2017, and his daughter Ngawai hono i te po Paki attended the reclaiming of our name, Whakaata Māori, in 2022. We were again honoured to have him as a special guest at our 20th celebrations in Tāmaki Makaurau last month."
Wellington Mayor: King embodied manaakitanga and whanaungatanga
This just in from Wellington City Council:
The Wellington City Council, under the leadership of Mayor Tory Whanau, joins the nation in mourning the passing of the Māori King, a leader whose life and reign have significantly shaped the unity and spirit of Aotearoa.
Mayor Tory Whanau, who hails from Taranaki, acknowledges the deep and special connection between Tainui, the Kīngitanga movement, and Taranaki, who also are the local iwi of Wellington. "The bond between Tainui, the Kīngitanga and Taranaki is one of historical significance and mutual respect, reflecting the shared values of kotahitanga (unity) and whanaungatanga (kinship). As the Māori King strove to unify and uplift all people of Aotearoa, he also strengthened these age-old ties," says Mayor Whanau.
Whanau said "Ngāti Toa and Tainui have a longstanding whakapapa connection that reinforces the unity and solidarity among our local iwi. The Māori King's commitment to fostering unity resonates deeply within our communities in Wellington."
Throughout his reign, the Māori King worked tirelessly to bridge cultural divides, advocate for the rights of Māori, and ensure that the rich heritage of his people was honoured and respected. His efforts have left an indelible mark on our country, inspiring countless New Zealanders to unite in the spirit of mutual respect and understanding.
Mayor Whanau added, "As a leader, the Māori King embodied the principles of manaakitanga (hospitality) and whanaungatanga (kinship), not just within his iwi but across all communities in New Zealand. We must continue to uphold and strive towards his vision for a united Aotearoa."
Te Pāti Māori leaders: King's "legacy of unification"
Papā te whatitiri, hikohiko te uira, i kanapu ki te rangi, i whētuki i raro rā, rū ana te whenua e.
Uea te pou o tōku whare kia tū tangata he kapua whakairi nāku nā runga o Taupiri. Ko taku kiri ka tōkia ki te anu mātao. E te iwi whītiki, whītiki, whakarewa.
Kua whati a roto, kua pohara te iwi Māori i tō wehenga atu. E te Ariki, e te Kiingi Māori Tuheitia, moe mai rā i roto i ngā ringaringa o te atua.
Kaikini te aroha, kaikini te manawa, kaikini te wairua. Hei aha rā, hei aha rā, tū tonu te mahara.
“It is with deep sadness that we received news early this morning of the passing of Kiingi Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII. His passing is deeply mourned,” said Te Pāti Māori co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi.
“The Kiingitanga, in our people’s darkest moments, gave our people hope. It is a Māori movement that has never surrendered its mana,” said party President John Tamihere.
“Kiingi Tūheitia was grassroots, humble, not fluent or flashy in formalities, yet naturally prepared to serve and lead,” said co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.
“His legacy of unification, of mana motuhake and rangatiratanga, will live on through the movement and through te iwi Māori,” said co-leader Rawiri Waititi.
Te Pāti Māori will pay tribute to Kiingi Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII alongside their respective iwi.
