Te Arikinui Kuini Ngawai hono i te po is about to make her first major appearance since her father’s death as thousands make their way south to attend tomorrow’s final hui ā-motu.
“It comes, of course, with a tinge of sadness in the reality that her father’s not here, but she’s committed to fulfilling his vision,” Kiingitanga spokesperson Ngira Simmonds said.
The gathering at Tuahiwi Marae, located north of Christchurch, is part of a national movement the late King Tuheitia spearheaded earlier this year to unite Māori amidst a wave of controversial Government policies.
As per tikanga, she is not expected to speak at the event following so soon after the death of her father, Simmonds said.
“In keeping with our tikanga, with our customs and traditions, for the first 12 months following the death of the king, the queen will keep silence.”
Instead, she will continue to mourn the late king, taking his mate, or the essence of his memory so to speak, to the hui.
The first hui ā-motu in January drew over 10,000 people to Ngāruawāhia and it was there that Kīngi Tuheitia said, “Let the four winds speak as we find our kotahitanga, ngā hau e whā, kia kotahi rā. After we’ve heard from the four winds, I call us together again”, urging tribes from every corner of the land to continue the movement in their own regions.
Hui at Rātana in the west, Waitangi in the north, and Omāhu in the east were held earlier this year.
Ngāi Tahu is hosting the final hui ā-motu, called Te Pūnuiotoka, which will focus on indigenous economics and tribal institution-building. Speakers will include indigenous representatives from overseas.
Iwi Leaders Working Group chairman Helmut Modlik said a number of issues have been voiced at the last four hui – problems he hopes will be solved at tomorrow’s event and into the future.
“Some clear signals were given about what the motu wants to see, for example, our people aren’t interested in a Parliament. They want a whare Māori; they want to see our kupu, our tikanga.”