Tūheitia Potatau 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 Kiingitanga in 2018 private audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican in May 2019 coronation of Charles III and Camilla in London, May 2023
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.
In 2018, to honour King Tūheitia 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.
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 Kiingitanga.
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.
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).