Maori chiefs have crowned the 27-year-old daughter of their late former king in a surprise election that has been hailed as a symbol of change for the country.
Thousands of people celebrated the anointing of Nga Wai Hono i te po Paki in an emotional ceremony on New Zealand’s North Island.
She is the only child and youngest daughter of Maori King Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII, 69, who died in his sleep last Thursday while recovering from heart surgery.
Nga Wai Hono i te po Paki is the second Māori queen in the eight-seat reign of the Kiingitanga movement, which dates back to 1858.
However, Queen Nga Wai’s election was largely unexpected, as many believed that one of the king’s two sons would be next to lead the movement.
One of Queen Nga Wai’s older brothers is said to have taken on many of his father’s ceremonial duties during his periods of illness.
“This is certainly a break with traditional Maori leadership appointments, which tend to award the title to the eldest son, usually a son,” Maori cultural adviser Karaitiana Taiuru told AFP.
Mr Taiuru said it was a “privilege” to witness the young queen’s appointment, particularly amid growing challenges facing the Maori community.
Nga Wai Hono i te po Paki (above) was elected New Zealand’s new Maori queen on Thursday
Queen Nga Wai is the only daughter of the late King Tuheitia, who passed away last week at the age of 69.
“The Maori world has been yearning for younger leadership to guide us through the new world of AI, genetic modification, global warming and in a time of many other societal changes that challenge and threaten us and the 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), the last day of the seven-day funeral for Kiingi Tuheitia.
Nga Wai, wearing a flower crown, a cloak and a whalebone necklace, was led to the throne in the small town of Ngaruawahia, apparently flanked by shirtless Maori men carrying ceremonial weapons.
Her traditional ‘moko’ tattoo on her chin, seen at ceremonies, was inked in 2016 to mark the anniversary of her father’s coronation.
Queen Nga Wai then participated in her father’s final funeral rites after the ascension ceremonies.
She sat beside his coffin in a carved war canoe, rowed by 21 men.
A flotilla of smaller traditional canoes took them down the Waikato River, manned by a dozen paddlers each.
The coronation took place on the final day of the late Maori king’s funeral proceedings.
Kiingi Tuheitia’s coffin was rowed and carried to the top of a sacred site, 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 layers of feathers, up the steep mountain to the summit.
The events marked the end of a week-long tangihanga (funeral rite) for the leader who in recent months had united New Zealand’s indigenous people in the face of a more racially divisive political culture.
Kiwi leaders welcomed 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 has an incredible wealth of mātauranga Māori, a love for Toi Māori and is committed to caring for her people,” he said, according to Stuff.
“As the youngest daughter of Kiingi Tūheitia and Te Makau Ariki Atawhai, Kuīni Ngā Wai Hono i te po Paki follows an incredible and historic legacy of predecessors who have helped shape and influence the cultural identity of Aotearoa New Zealand as a nation,” he said Hipkins. .
“The Maori world has been yearning for younger leadership,” said a Maori cultural adviser
Thursday marked the final day of a week-long process attended by tens of thousands of people.
Former Maori King Kiingi Tuheitia (pictured above) passed away in his sleep following heart surgery
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the new Queen would bring “hope”.
“We welcome Upoko Ariki, Ngawai Hono i te po, who carries forward the leadership left by her father. The path ahead is illuminated by the great legacy of Kiingi Tuheitia,” he said in a statement.
The office of Maori monarch was founded in 1858, with the aim of being a unifying movement for all Maori tribes.
Queen Nga Wai’s grandmother, Queen Te Arikiniui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, was the only former Māori queen and held the office for over four decades.
Queen Nga Wai studied Maori language and customary law at the University of Waikato in Hamilton on the North Island. She has worked as a teacher of traditional Maori performing arts.