King Tūheitia
During the funeral for Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, kaumātua Tui Adams (Tainui) asked three times: ‘Ko Tuheitia hei Kingi?’ (should Tūheitia be King?) and three times the people present responded, ‘Ae’ (yes).1 With that Kīngi Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII was anointed as the seventh Māori monarch. Tūheitia was the eldest son of Te Atairangikaahu and her husband Whatumoana Paki. Anaru Tāmihana used the same bible his ancestor Wiremu Tāmihana had placed on Pōtatau’s head in 1859.
Tūheitia generally made public speeches once a year during his reign, but he also took part in many important ceremonies with international dignitaries, both in New Zealand and abroad. In 2009 he accompanied former Prime Minister Helen Clark when she was welcomed with a pōwhiri to the United Nations in New York as the administrator of the United Nations Development Programme. In 2019 he had a private audience with Pope Francis in the Vatican. He also took part in many Māori celebrations around the country. He took a particular interest in campaigns aimed at reducing incarceration rates amongst Māori and supporting the reintegration into their communities of former prisoners. In 2014 he revived Te Tekau-mā-rua advisory council, continuing the tradition established by Tāwhiao and for the first time including kaumātua and advisers from outside Tainui.
Tūheitia died on 30 August 2024 after undergoing heart surgery.
Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō
Tūheitia was succeeded by his 27-year-old daughter. Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō attended kōhanga reo and is a proficient kapa haka exponent. After earning a Master of Arts degree in tikanga and te reo Māori from the University of Waikato, she played a key role in overseeing the Kīngitanga’s taonga collection.
The Kīngitanga in the 21st century
In the early 21st century the Kīngitanga is an enduring institution. Historic traditions such as the poukai (annual visits by the monarch to marae) and the koroneihana (coronation celebrations) continue. The century-old Kauhanganui (Kīngitanga parliament) continues in a rejuvenated form.
In 2018 celebrations were held at Tūrangawaewae to mark 160 years of the Kingitanga. Thousands of people attended, including iwi and political leaders from around the country. More than 1,000 people took part in kapa haka and sports competitions, and more than 100 waka appeared on the Waikato River as part of the celebrations.