Tūheitia Paki


Tūheitia Potatau Te Wherowhero VII , crowned as Kiingi Tūheitia, is the current Māori King in New Zealand. He is the eldest son of the previous Māori monarch, Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, and was announced as her successor and crowned on 21 August 2006, the same day her tangihanga took place.

Family

King Tūheitia is the son of Whatumoana Paki and Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, who married in 1952. He was educated at Rakaumanga School in Huntly, Southwell School in Hamilton and St Stephen's College in Bombay, south of Auckland. He has five sisters and one brother: Heeni Katipa ; Tomairangi Paki; Mihi ki te ao Paki; Kiki Solomon ; Manawa Clarkson, and brother Maharaia Paki.
He is married to Makau Ariki Atawhai and they have three children: Whatumoana, Korotangi, and Ngawai Hono I Te Po.
Following his ascent to the throne, the Makau Ariki was appointed patroness of the Māori Women's Welfare League in 2007 and Te Kohao Health, a Māori public health organisation.

Duties and background

The King generally speaks publicly only once a year, at the annual celebrations in Ngāruawāhia of his coronation.
Since ascending to the throne his official duties have included attending the following events:
In May 2019, King Tuheitia and members of the Whare Ariki traveled to Italy where the King met Pope Francis in a Private Audience at the Vatican. The two met and discussed issues pertaining to Te Iwi Maori and indigenous peoples around the world. King Tuheitia also issued a formal invitation for the Pope to visit Turangawaewae Marae and Aotearoa.
In 2018, to honour King Tuheitia and his leadership of the Kiingitanga, the General Synod of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, journeyed to Turangawaewae Marae to join with the multitudes in honouring the 160 years of this Monarchy.
King Tuheitia attends hundreds of events every year both nationally and internationally. He is the Patron to several key organisations; including Te Matatini, the largest Māori Cultural Festival in the world, Kirikiriroa Marae a large urban Marae in Hamilton.
He frequently receives International dignitaries, foreign Diplomats, members of other Royal families and members of Governments. In 2014 the King notably received 26 Diplomats to discuss international and trade interests for the Kiingitanga.
In 2009 King Tuheitia visited the New Zealand Parliament and was acknowledged in the valedictory speech of the former Prime Minister of New Zealand, Helen Clark. In the same year, the King accompanied Helen Clark to the United Nations upon her appointment as the United Nations Development Programme administrator.
The King regularly attends significant events of Māoridom up and down the country. In July 2018, the King and Royal family attended the 150th Celebrations of the Ringatu Church; to which the King's eldest grandson, Hikairo, has been baptised. The King also frequently attends the annual 25 January celebrations of the Ratana Church expressing his continued support for all denominations and his deep desire to unify the people.

Poukai

The Poukai is an annual series of visits by the Māori King to Marae around and beyond the Tainui region, a tradition that dates back to the 19th century. Poukai were established by the second Māori King, Tāwhiao, who said “Kua whakatūria e ahau tēnei kaupapa hei whāngai i te pouaru, te pani me te rawakore, he kuaha whānui kua puare ki te puna tangata me te puna kai.”
There are 29 Poukai every year and King Tuheitia attends each one. Poukai are a critical event in the Kiingitanga calendar. A unique element of Poukai is their focus on: te pani, te pouaru and te rawakore. These events, lead by the King and his predecessors before him, are put in place to assist and help ease the burdens and challenges faced by people.
Poukai are also occasions of great celebration where entire iwi and hapū come together to prepare a great hākari in honour of the King and the Royal family.
The Poukai Marae are:
Horahora | Kokohinau | Taniwha | Hukanui | Maurea | Poutu | Parawera | Aotearoa / Rawhitiroa | Rakaunui | Waipapa | Maketu | Okapu | Turangawaewae | Mirumiru | Te Kuiti Pa | Huria | Te Papaorotu | Nga Taierua | Tainui-a-whiro | Ngati Pikiao | Pohara | Whatapaka | Tauranganui | Wahi Pa | Mangatangi | Ngatira / Pikitu | Te Awamarahi | Waikare | Reretewhioi

Political advancements

King Tuheitia has been at the forefront of many political issues, particularly pertaining to Māori. In 2018 the King launched, in collaboration with the New Zealand Police and Ministry of Justice, the Iwi Justice Panel. This approach to restorative justice aims to reduce incarceration rates among Māori, which are among the highest for an indigenous people in the world.
In 2017, King Tuheitia led a groundbreaking moment for the Kiingitanga by signing a formal Accord with the Ministry of Corrections, on behalf of the Government of New Zealand. This award-winning Accord led to the development of the Iwi Justice Panel's and also a further partnership venture with Corrections to build a reintegration Center for incarcerated women who gave birth to a child while in prison. In an exclusive visit to a women's prison in Auckland, the King personally visited mothers and their children and pledge is strength to do more for all incarcerated people.
In 2014 the King received a group from White Ribbon NZ who were travelling New Zealand promoting an anti-violence campaign.

Tekau-ma-Rua and Te Kahui Wairua

During his reign King Tāwhiao established an advisory council “Tekau-mā-Rua”. Each successive Monarch has had a Tekau-mā-Rua to offer advice and act as a senior council within the Kiingitanga.
In 2012 King Tuheitia formally established his Tekau-mā-Rua and he also added a spiritual council, called Te Kāhui Wairua. These two councils work together in providing advice, guidance and a strategic platform for the King and the Kiingitanga. A unique aspect of King Tuheitia's Tekau-mā-Rua, and a first for the Kiingitanga, is a council made up of members from outside of the Waikato tribal region.

Tekau-mā-Rua

Te Kāhui Wairua

*Archdeacon Simmonds is the Chaplain to the Kiingitanga and Private Chaplain to the King.

Honours

On 27 November 2007, King Tuheitia was appointed an Officer of the Venerable Order of Saint John and upgraded to a Knight in 2016. He was appointed to Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown of Tonga during the coronation ceremonies of King George Tupou V of Tonga. In 2010 he was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Lazarus.
In 2016, in celebration of the King's 10th Coronation Anniversary, the mayor of Hamilton awarded King Tuheitia the city's highest honour, the Freedom of the City. In the same year the King also received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Waikato.