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

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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.

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.

Today’s proceedings began with the new Māori monarch, Kuini Ngā Wai hono i te po, being ushered to the throne followed by a ceremony to anoint her. 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 had been raised to the throne, the funeral service for Kīngi Tūheitia began 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.

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.

“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.

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.”

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.