Additional Coverage:
- New Zealand’s new Maori queen anointed as late king laid to rest (newsbreak.com)
On September 5, Ngawai Hono i te Po was crowned the new Maori queen during a significant ceremony following the burial of her father, the previous king of New Zealand’s indigenous people, who passed away on August 30. The event took place at Turangawaewae Marae in Ngāruawāhia, the official residence of the Maori monarch.
According to the Kiingitanga, the Maori King movement, elders chose Ngawai Hono i te Po as the eighth monarch and the second queen in their history. At 27, she is one of the youngest leaders of the Maori, succeeding her father, the late Kiingi Tuheitia, who died at 69 after heart surgery.
The coronation, attended by thousands, involved traditional rituals including the placement of a historic bible on the new queen’s head, a bible that was also used during the anointing of the first Maori king in 1858. Archbishop Don Tamihere then anointed her with sacred oils to impart prestige, sacredness, power, and spiritual essence.
Following the ceremony, a grand funeral procession for Kiingi Tuheitia moved from Turangawaewae Marae to the Waikato River, where his coffin was transported on a traditional Maori canoe to Taupiri, a revered burial site for the movement, and he was laid to rest at the mountain’s summit.
The Kiingitanga movement, established in 1858, aimed to unite Maori tribes to preserve their culture and land. Although the monarch’s role is largely ceremonial today, it remains a cornerstone for unifying the Maori people.
Kiingi Tuheitia, who ascended to the throne in 2006 following his mother, Dame Te Atairangikaahu, had a long reign advocating for the Maori people. He worked on campaigns to decrease Maori incarceration rates and facilitate reintegration, meeting with global leaders and participating in cultural festivities.
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon commented on the transition, honoring Kiingi Tuheitia’s contributions and expressing optimism for the leadership of Ngawai Hono i te Po.
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- New Zealand’s new Maori queen anointed as late king laid to rest (newsbreak.com)