New Māori monarch announced this morning ahead of funeral proceedings for K

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New Māori monarch announced this morning ahead of funeral proceedings for Kīngi Tūheitia

By Julia Gabel

Multimedia Journalist·NZ Herald·

5 Sep, 2024 07:50 AM

A new Māori monarch will be anointed today in the hours before Kīngi Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII is carried to Taupiri maunga for burial.

The whānau of the king, his iwi Waikato-Tainui and thousands of other people from around New Zealand and the world have been grieving since it was announced late last week the king had died at age 69 after a period in hospital recovering from heart surgery.

KEY POINTS

• Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII, the seventh Māori king, passed away at age 69.
• Tūheitia promoted unity and Māori causes, becoming a respected leader and diplomat.
• Thousands of mourners from across the country have since gathered at Tūrangawaewae Marae.
  
• New Zealand politicians have paid their respects.
• Today marks the seventh and final day of formal tangihanga proceedings.
  
• A new monarch is expected to be announced this morning.

Follow our live updates below.

Morning at Tūrangawaewae Marae as thousands gather to honour Kīngi Tūheitia. Photos / Carson Bluck

08:20 am

Mourners gather at Tūrangawaewae Marae

Morning at Tūrangawaewae Marae as thousands gather to honour Kīngi Tūheitia. Photos / Carson Bluck

07:52 am

Mourners begin to gather for final day of formal tangi proceedings

Mourners have already begun arriving at Tūrangawaewae Marae in Ngāruawāhia for the seventh and final day of formal tangihanga proceedings.

People crosssing the Waikato river in front of turangawaewae marae In Ngāruawāhia. Photo / Mike Scott

07:48 am

Kīngi Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII to be laid to rest, new monarch to be announced today

Today marks the seventh and final day of formal tangihanga proceedings for Kīngi Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII at Tūrangawaewae Marae in Ngāruawāhia as he will be taken to his maunga, Taupiri, to be laid to rest among his ancestors, including his mother, Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu.

Today’s proceedings will begin with the new Māori monarch being ushered to the throne followed by a ceremony to anoint that monarch. As Kīngitanga chief of staff Ngira Simmonds says, today’s funeral represents the “last moment when Kīngi Tūheitia the person becomes Kīngi Tūheitia the ancestor”.

Follow the proceedings via our live updates.

Today marks the seventh and final day of formal tangihanga proceedings for the king at Tūrangawaewae Marae in Ngāruawāhia as he will be taken to his maunga, Taupiri, to be laid to rest among his ancestors, including his mother, Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu.

Taupiri, rising above the Waikato River, is considered an ancestor of Waikato-Tainui iwi. Photo / Mike Scott

Today’s proceedings will begin with the new Māori monarch being ushered to the throne followed by a ceremony to anoint that monarch. As Kīngitanga chief of staff Ngira Simmonds says, today’s funeral represents the “last moment when Kīngi Tūheitia the person becomes Kīngi Tūheitia the ancestor”.

”It’s a transition from the physical realm to the spiritual realm. It is not too dissimilar from most Māori funerals, but there are a few unique moments reserved [for the king]. The king will ... head to Taupiri maunga by waka, no one else here goes to Taupiri on a waka.”

Once the new monarch has been raised to the throne, the funeral service for Kīngi Tūheitia will begin with a karakia Māori and karaitiana (Māori and Christian prayers).

Once this has concluded, the hearse carrying Kīngi Tūheitia begins a slow procession toward the Waikato River before he is transferred to a waka.

Thousands travelled to Tūrangawaewae Marae to mourn the loss of Kīngi Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII. Photo / Mike Scott

King Tūhietia's chief advisor Ngira Simmonds speaks to media at Tūrangawaewae Marae in Ngāruawāhia to mourn the passing of Māori King Tūheitia. Photo / Adam Pearse

Four waka will feature in the procession, including Tātahi Ora, Waikura, Tākitimu and Te Tīmatanga.

Thousands of people have congregated at Tūrangawaewae Marae over the past seven days – which many say is a strong testament to the impact the seventh Māori monarch had in New Zealand – and the world.

Among the speakers at the marae on Wednesday was Gerry Brownlee, Parliament’s Speaker, who compared the king’s passing to the falling of a “great totara”. Brownlee said he hoped a new waka would be built from that totara that had enough room for all of us.

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“No waka moves forward without all the paddles moving in the same direction.”

The manuhiri (guests) on Wednesday also included Pacific rangatira King Pōmare of Tahiti, and New Zealand political leaders such as Labour leader Chris Hipkins, Act leader David Seymour, NZ First leader Winston Peters, and Government Ministers Nicola Willis, Tama Potaka and Shane Jones.

Former Prime Minister Helen Clark and Labour leader Chris Hipkins were among the people who visited Tūrangawaewae Marae to mourn the passing of Māori King Tūheitia. Photo / Mike Scott

Speaking toward the end of the pōwhiri, Kīngitanga spokesman Rahui Papa spoke directly to Seymour, saying they honoured Seymour for coming and hoped he had learned “we are not that scary”.

Seymour had not attended the king’s recent coronation, Koroneihana, while other Government representatives, including Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, had.

”There was some consternation about Koroneihana, but your arrival here today has allayed all of that. We honour you for fronting up at a very, very important time in the life span of the Kīngitanga and we hope that you have taken something away from today: that we are not that scary, and we can have the discussions face to face because we will look after you.”

Mourners at the tangi of Kīngi Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII. Photo / Mike Scott

He said Seymour had come to “show your aroha and your words to Kīngi Tūheitia today, and we respect that”.

Luxon also spoke at the king’s tangi earlier in the week. Papa – on behalf of the Kīngatanga – replied to the Prime Minister (as is custom during the whaikōrero of a tangi), saying it was just over a week ago that Luxon had “suffered the cannon fodder” of Kīngi Tūheitia during Koroneihana.

Today, the bullets are filled with aroha and we respect and honour you for fronting up again.”

Julia Gabel is a Wellington-based political reporter. She joined the Herald in 2020 and has most recently focused on data journalism.

Kīngi Tuheitia: Iwi gather to honour Māori king | 1News on TVNZ+

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZwQRlhEZtU

Sep 2, 2024

As Aotearoa mourns Kīngi Tuheitia, thousands from across the motu gather to pay their respects at his tangihanga. Even iwi historically outside the Kiingitanga movement have joined the farewell, putting differences aside to honour the Māori King. The farewell for Kīngi Tuheitia is steeped in cultural significance, where traditional customs and values known as tikanga guide proceedings. 1News explains what those customs are and why they’re observed.

Politicians pays tribute to Kīngi Tuheitia, 'the king of kotahitanga' | 1News on TVNZ+

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NT-GxTlJLtM

Sep 4, 2024

Kīngi Tuheitia has been heralded for bringing kotahitanga, unity, in his reign as Māori King. As politicians joined the thousands descending on Tūrangawaewae Marae today, there were calls on them to embrace that message.

Te Whakawahinga me Te Raa Nehu 05.09.2024

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3_x4ygI3H0

Te Whakawahinga me Te Raa Nehu 05.09.2024

Ko Te Paki o Matariki ki runga

Ko Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII ki te whenua

Ka hiiri, ka hiiri, ka hiiri te Mana Maaori Motuhake

Ka whakareinga ahau, ka whakamaua kia tiina

Hui ee taaiki e

10am proceedings will begin for Te Whakawahinga (raising up) ceremony for the successor and the final service of Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero Vll.

There is limited parking at the Marae and the roads will be closed from 6am. Buses will be available to transport people to the Marae from Hopuhopu from 5am until 9.30am.

From 11.30am, the buses will be ready at the Marae to take people to the maunga. There is also a train at 12.30pm to take people to the maunga. The capacity for the train is 200 people.

The second train will leave Ngaaruawaahia at 1.30pm. This train will be for kaumaatua only. There are a number of big screens at the Marae so people have the option to stay at the Marae and watch the proceedings.

Following the burial ceremony, the kaumaatua train will return to Ngaaruawaahia. Everyone else will need to catch a bus back to the Marae. The buses will loop through Hopuhopu for those wishing to return to their cars. Following kai-haakari, the last bus back to Hopuhopu will leave the Marae at 7pm.

BRING a water bottle, fill up at Wai Maaori stations and thank you for making today a beautiful day - we deeply appreciate your love, thoughts, and prayers. 𝙋𝙖𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙧𝙚

What is the process for coronating the next monarch?

The ceremony is simple but powerful.

It will start with the monarch elect being adorned in the same cloak donned by the first Māori king Pōtatau Te Wherowhero during his coronation. People will gather at the marae to pay their final respects to the late king, while the monarch elect will stand with the main rangatira and the late king’s coffin. A clergyman will begin with an Anglican service and deliver a sermon.

More Reading

Kīngi Tuheitia’s death leaves a massive void at a critical moment The loss of Māori king will be felt particularly keenly this year, and much like Tuheitia's own selection, his successor is not easy to predict.

The shade in the shadow of Taupiri maunga At the final resting place of Kīngi Tuheitia, shades of healing can be found everywhere.

After this, the most senior descendant of Wiremu Tamihana Te Waharoa, the original “kingmaker”, will come forward and face the monarch elect. They will crown the new monarch by placing a Bible on their head, saying: “In the old days, your ancestors were anointed with oil, but since the arrival of Christianity, they have been anointed with the Word of God. Therefore, I place the Word of God upon your head.”

The kingmaker will then lead the monarch forward, proclaiming them in te reo Māori as the “king or queen of the Māori race, in the name of the father, the son and the holy ghost”. The Bible used is the same one that has crowned every previous monarch. As the Bible is placed on the new monarch’s head, the late king’s flag, which has been flying at half mast, is lowered, and the new monarch’s flag is raised to the top of the flagpole.

After the coronation, another high rangatira presents the new monarch with a white feather, symbolising purity and truth. Various rangatira will then make brief speeches to honour them. The ceremony ends with prayers, hymns and a blessing.

Later in the day, the new monarch will follow Tūheitia’s coffin to its final resting place in the royal burial ground at the summit of Taupiri maunga.