New Zealand’s Maori Crowned Queen After Father’s Death

Twenty-seven-year-old Nga Wai hono i te po was Thursday anointed as the new monarch by Maori chiefs in New Zealand. The decision came after the death of King Kiingi Tuheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII. Nga Wai was chosen as Kuini in a formal ceremony held on the North Island by a council of the Indigenous Māori chiefs, reported AFP.

With this, Nga Wai became the second-ever Maori queen in the eight-dynasty reign of the Kingitanga movement to ascend the throne. Her father died last week at the age of 69, following heart surgery. 

“The new monarch was raised in a ceremony known as Te Whakawahinga, in front of thousands of people gathered for the tangihanga (funeral and burial) of Kiingi Tuheitia,” a spokesperson for the Kiingitanga or royal family said.

Instead of crowning the queen, Archbishop Don Tamihere placed a bible, that has been in use since 1858, on her head and used holy oils to bestow dignity, sacredness, strength, and spiritual essence upon her.

Thousands flocked to Turangawaewae, the King movement’s meeting spot, to bid farewell to him in a traditional funeral ceremony. After his daughter’s anointment, the King’s coffin was transported by hearse to the Waikato River. From there, it was floated in a flotilla of traditional Maori waka, or canoes, to Taupiri Mountain, where he was to be buried with other royals and high-profile Maori.

The Maori monarchy was established back in 1858 to fight colonisation and protect Māori culture and land from intruders. Although the monarch is primarily ceremonial and has little official authority, it is nevertheless regarded by many tribes as the supreme chief. 

With a master’s degree in Māori cultural studies from Waikato University, Nga Wai has served on several boards, including the Te Kohanga Reo National Trust, an organisation charged with revitalising the Maori language, according to 1News. 

Her anointment comes amid strained racial relations in New Zealand. Since assuming power last year, the centre-right coalition in New Zealand has begun to roll back the policies of the previous administration, especially those that supported the official use of the Maori language, improved living conditions and rights for Indigenous people, and attempts to right some of the wrongs committed during colonisation.