Tūheitia Paki

Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII (born Tūheitia Paki, 21 April 1955), crowned as Kīngi Tūheitia, is the Māori King. 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 day her tangihanga (funeral rites) took place.

Family


King Tūheitia (born Tūheitia Paki) is the son of Whatumoana Paki (1926–2011) and Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu (1931–2006), who married in 1952. He was educated at Rakaumanga School in Huntly, Southwell School in Hamilton and St. Stephen's College (Te Kura o Tipene) in Bombay, south of Auckland. He has five sisters and one brother: Heeni Katipa ( Paki); Tomairangi Paki; Mihi ki te ao Paki; Kiki Solomon ( Paki); Manawa Clarkson ( Paki), and brother Maharaia Paki.

He is married to Makau Ariki Te 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 patron 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:


 * funeral of King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV of Tonga, September 2006
 * opening of Pūkawa Marae on the shore of Lake Taupō, 17–19 November 2006
 * opening of "Mauri Ora", an exhibition of Māori artefacts from Te Papa on exhibition at the Tokyo National Museum in Japan on 22 January 2007
 * funeral of Malietoa Tanumafili II of Samoa, 19 May 2007
 * re-opening of the marae/war memorial hall in Ngaiotonga, Whangaruru, 2007
 * opening of the Māori garden in Hamilton Gardens, 2008
 * unveiling of Te Kawerau a Maki's new pou for the Arataki Visitor Centre in the Waitākere Ranges in 2011
 * haka and speech for the fleet of 110 waka to commemorate 160 years of Kīngitanga in 2018
 * private audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican in May 2019
 * coronation of Charles III and Camilla in London, May 2023

Tūheitia 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 Kīngitanga.

In 2009 King Tūheitia 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.

In 2018, to honour King Tūheitia and his leadership of the Kīngitanga, 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.

In May 2019, King Tūheitia and members of the Whare Ariki travelled 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 Tūheitia also issued a formal invitation for the Pope to visit Turangawaewae Marae and Aotearoa.

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" (I have instituted this gathering to feed the widowed, the bereaved and the destitute, it is a doorway that has been opened to the multitudes of people and the bounty of food).

There are 29 Poukai every year and King Tūheitia attends each one. Poukai are a critical event in the Kīngitanga calendar. A unique element of Poukai is their focus on: te pani (the bereaved), te pouaru (the widowed) and te rawakore (the destitute). These events, led by the monarch, are put in place to assist and help ease the burdens and challenges faced by people.

Political involvement
King Tūheitia has been at the forefront of many political issues, particularly pertaining to Māori. In 2014 the King received a group from White Ribbon NZ who were travelling New Zealand promoting an anti-violence campaign.

In 2017, King Tūheitia led a groundbreaking moment for the Kīngitanga by signing a formal Accord with the Minister of Corrections, Louise Lupton of the Department of Corrections, on behalf of the New Zealand Government. This award-winning Accord led to the development of the Iwi Justice Panels, 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 visited mothers and their children and pledged to do more for all incarcerated people.

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.

2024 national hui
In December 2023, King Tūheitia issued a royal proclamation to hold a national hui (meeting) to promote Māori unity in January 2024. The hui was in response to the Kīngitanga movement's concerns that the new National-led coalition government's policies towards the Treaty of Waitangi would reverse "decades of hard fought justice." The national hui is scheduled to be held at Turangawaewae Marae on 20 January 2024. Key topics expected to be discussed at the hui include the Government's proposed to abolish Te Aka Whai Ora (the Māori Health Authority), roll back the use of the Māori language in the public service, repeal the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Act 2022 and review the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.

On 15 January 2024, King Tūheitia met with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka and discussed several of the Government's policies including the proposed Treaty Principles legislation and plans to roll back the use of Māori language in the public service. The King's chaplain, Archdeacon Simmonds, stated that the King would continue to speak Māori regardless of Government policy and direction.

On 20 January, 10,000 people attended the national hui at Tuurangawaewae Marae including former Prime Minister Jenny Shipley, activist and artist Tame Iti, former New Zealand First and National MP Tau Henare, and former Te Pāti Māori president Tukoroirangi Morgan, and National MPs Tama Potaka and Dan Bidois (who attended as government representatives). The national hui commenced with five workshops focusing on the Māori language, Treaty of Waitangi, national identity, oranga tangata and oranga taiao followed by a plenary session. Tūheitia addressed attendees at 4pm.

During his address, Tūheitia stated that "the best protest we can do right now is be Māori, be who we are, live our values, speak our reo (language), care for our mokopuna (children)." He also said that the world was watching and urged the Government not to tamper with the Treaty of Waitangi in its proposed legislation. Tuheitia also said that other indigenous nations were supporting the Māori cause and that the kohanga movement had a new generation of leaders. Potaka defended Luxon's decision not to attend the national hui and disputed several of the speakers' claims that the Government was underpinned by White supremacy.

Tekau-ma-Rua and Te Kahui Wairua
In 2012 King Tūheitia formally established his Tekau-mā-Rua (the twelve, an advisory council); each monarch has had a Tekau-mā-Rua to offer advice and act as a senior council within the Kīngitanga. 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 Kīngitanga. For the first time for the Kīngitanga, King Tūheitia's Tekau-mā-Rua is made up of members from outside of the Waikato tribal region (the King's direct tribe).

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

Honours

 * In 2009, King Tūheitia was appointed a Knight of the Venerable Order of Saint John by Queen Elizabeth II, and he was presented with the insignia for the honour by the governor-general, Sir Jerry Mateparae in 2016 during the 10th anniversary commemorations of the King's coronation.
 * 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 him 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.