Dawn
Active member
Wellington, New Zealand — A new Māori Queen was anointed on Thursday amid significant challenges to race relations in New Zealand. Nga Wai Hono i te Po has been selected by Māori elders to succeed her father, King Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII, who passed away last week at age 69 following surgery.
The new monarch was elevated in a ceremony called Te Whakawahinga, held in front of thousands who gathered for the tangihanga (funeral and burial) of the late king. Instead of a traditional coronation, a Bible used since 1858 was placed on her head, and Archbishop Don Tamihere applied sacred oils to confer prestige, sacredness, power, and spiritual essence upon her.
The funeral ceremony saw thousands convene at Tuurangawaewae, the royal meeting place of the Kiingitanga, to honor the late king. Following the anointment of his daughter, the king’s coffin was transported to the Waikato River by hearse and then paddled in a flotilla of traditional Māori waka (canoes) to Taupiri Mountain for burial alongside other Māori royals and prominent figures.
The Māori King or Queen is regarded as the paramount chief of several tribes or iwi but does not hold judicial or legal authority in New Zealand, with the role being largely ceremonial.
The new monarch was elevated in a ceremony called Te Whakawahinga, held in front of thousands who gathered for the tangihanga (funeral and burial) of the late king. Instead of a traditional coronation, a Bible used since 1858 was placed on her head, and Archbishop Don Tamihere applied sacred oils to confer prestige, sacredness, power, and spiritual essence upon her.
The funeral ceremony saw thousands convene at Tuurangawaewae, the royal meeting place of the Kiingitanga, to honor the late king. Following the anointment of his daughter, the king’s coffin was transported to the Waikato River by hearse and then paddled in a flotilla of traditional Māori waka (canoes) to Taupiri Mountain for burial alongside other Māori royals and prominent figures.
The Māori King or Queen is regarded as the paramount chief of several tribes or iwi but does not hold judicial or legal authority in New Zealand, with the role being largely ceremonial.
