Maori chiefs have crowned the 27-year-old daughter of their deceased former king in a surprise choice that has been praised as a symbol of change for the country.
Thousands celebrated Nga Wai Hono i te po Paki’s anointment in an emotional ceremony in New Zealand’s North Island.
She is the only daughter and youngest child of 69-year-old Maori King Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII, who passed in his sleep last Thursday while recovering from heart surgery.
Nga Wai Hono i te po Paki is the second ever Maori queen in the eight-monarch reign of the Kiingitanga movement, dating back to 1858.
However, the election of Queen Nga Wai was largely unexpected as many believed one of the king’s two sons would next lead the movement.
One of Queen Nga Wai’s elder brothers had reportedly taken on many of his father’s ceremonial duties during his periods of illness.
‘It is certainly a break from traditional Maori leadership appointments which tend to succeed to the eldest child, usually a male,’ Maori cultural advisor Karaitiana Taiuru told AFP.
Mr Taiuru said it was a ‘privilege’ to witness the young queen’s appointment, particularly amidst growing challenges faced by the Maori community.
Nga Wai Hono i te po Paki (above) was elected as New Zealand’s new Maori Queen on Thursday
Queen Nga Wai is the only daughter of the late King Tuheitia, who passed last week aged 69
‘The Maori world has been yearning for younger leadership to guide us in the new world of AI, genetic modification, global warming and in a time of many other social changes that question and threaten us and Indigenous Peoples of New Zealand,’ he said.
She was elected by the council of chiefs and ascended a tall, wooden throne on Thursday morning (local time), on the final day of the seven-day funeral for Kiingi Tuheitia.
Nga Wai, wearing a wreath, cloak and whalebone necklace, was ushered to the throne in the small town of Ngaruawahia, reportedly flanked by chanting, shirtless Maori men carrying ceremonial weapons.
Her traditional ‘moko’ chin tattoo seen in the ceremonies was inked back in 2016 to mark the anniversary of her father’s coronation.
Queen Nga Wai then took part in her father’s final funeral rites following the ascension ceremonies.
She sat beside his coffin on a carved war canoe, rowed by 21 men.
A flotilla of smaller, traditional canoes ushered them down the Waikato river, manned by a dozen rowers each.
The coronation took place on the final day of funerary proceedings for the late Maori King
Kiingi Tuheitia’s coffin was rowed and carried to the top of a sacred place, Mount Taupiri
The procession stopped at the base of sacred Mount Taupiri before players from three rugby teams carried Kiingi Tuheitia’s coffin, draped in feathered cloaks, up the steep mountain to the summit.
The events marked the end of a weeklong tangihanga (funeral rite) for the leader who had in recent months rallied New Zealand’s Indigenous people to unity in the face of a more racially divisive political culture.
Kiwi leaders applauded the election of Queen Nga Wai.
New Zealand Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins said the torch had been passed ‘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,’ he said, according to Stuff.
‘As the youngest child of Kiingi Tūheitia and Te Makau Ariki Atawhai, Kuīni Ngā Wai Hono i te po Paki follows an incredible and historic legacy before her of predecessors who have helped shape and influence Aotearoa New Zealand’s cultural identity as a nation,’ Hipkins said.
‘The Maori world has been yearning for younger leadership,’ said a Maori cultural advisor
Thursday marked the final day of a week-long proceeding, attended by tens of thousands
Former Maori King Kiingi Tuheitia (pictured above) passed in his sleep after heart surgery
Kiwi Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the new Queen would bring ‘hope’.
‘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,’ he said in a statement.
The Maori monarch’s position was founded in 1858, aiming to be a unifying movement for all Maori tribes.
Queen Nga Wai’s grandmother, Queen Te Arikiniui Dame Te Atairangikaahu was the only previous Maori Queen, and held the position for over four decades.
Queen Nga Wai studied Maori language and customary law at Waikato University in Hamilton on the North Island. She has worked teaching traditional Maori performing arts.
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