In an emotional ceremony, 27-year-old Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō was crowned the new Māori queen, marking the eighth monarch of New Zealand’s Māori people. Her crowning came as her father, Kiingi Tuheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII, was laid to rest after passing away at the age of 69. The ceremony took place at Tūrangawaewae Marae, the seat of the Kiingitanga (Māori king movement), after a week-long mourning period.
Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō is only the second Māori queen, following in the footsteps of her grandmother, Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu. The council of Māori chiefs selected her in an elaborate ceremony, symbolizing a generational shift and a new era for Māori leadership. Sitting on a carved wooden throne, she was blessed with the same Bible that anointed the first Māori king in 1858.
The funeral and crowning highlighted the rich traditions of the Māori people, with a haka dance, prayers, chants, and a flotilla of war canoes, or waka, transporting the king’s remains to his final resting place on Mount Taupiri. His death brought immense sadness to Māori communities and across New Zealand, with tributes pouring in from political leaders and followers of the Kiingitanga movement.
Kiingi Tuheitia was praised as a unifying figure, with a legacy of advocating for Māori rights and cultural preservation amidst political challenges. His daughter, the new queen, holds a master’s degree in Māori cultural studies and is seen as a beacon of hope and renewal for younger generations.
