Nga Wai Hono i te Po has been named the new Māori monarch after the death of her father, Kīngi Tuheitia.
The late king died in the early hours of Friday last week. Today is the final day of his tangihanga at Tūragawaewae Marae.
Discussions around succession took place earlier this week — and this morning, Te Arikinui Kuīni Nga Wai Hono i te Po was named Kuīni after she was ushered on to the throne.
The anointment of a Māori monarch is steeped in ritual and ceremony. Known as Te Whakawahinga, or “the raising up”, the ceremony took place ahead of the final funeral service for Kīngi Tuheitia.
The Māori monarch does not wear a crown.
Instead, the placing of a Bible over their head by Te Tumuaki o Te Kiingitanga [the Kingmaker] is seen as the moment of “crowning”.
In a statement, Tekau-maa-rua me ngaa Rangatira o te motu said: “Rangatira from across the motu have today chosen Nga wai hono i te po as their Queen, the eighth Maaori monarch and successor to Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII.
She was brought on to the marae by chiefs of the land, led by paramount chief Tā Tumu Te Heuheu. (Source: Kiingitanga) (Source: Supplied)
“The new monarch was raised up in a ceremony known as Te Whakawahinga, in front of thousands of people gathered for the tangihanga of Kiingi Tuheitia.
“After the Karakia Whakawahinga, Tumuaki Hone Taamihana placed a bible on the head of Nga wai hono i te po, using the same bible that Tumuaki Wiremu Taamihana used to raise up the first Maaori King Pootatau Te Wherowhero in 1858.”
Archbishop Don Tamihere said a karakia.
He also “used sacred oils to bestow prestige, sacredness, power and spiritual essence upon Kuini Nga wai hono i te po”.
Tekau-Maa-Rua Chairman Che Wilson said the ceremony of Te Whakawahinga was “important”.
“We follow the tikanga of our ancestors who created the Kiingitanga to unify and uplift our people and we have chosen Nga wai hono i te po as our new monarch.”
Note: The use of double vowels in this article reflects the dialect used by the Kiingitanga/Kīngitanga which uses double vowels (aa, ee, ii, oo, uu) in place of macronised vowels (ā, ē, ī, ō, ū).