Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Te Arikinui Kuīni | |||||
.jpg)
Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō in 2019
|
|||||
| Māori Queen | |||||
| Reign | 5 September 2024 – present | ||||
| Coronation | 5 September 2024 | ||||
| Predecessor | Tūheitia | ||||
| Born | Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō Paki 13 January 1997 Waikato, New Zealand |
||||
|
|||||
| Kāhui Ariki | Te Wherowhero | ||||
| Father | Tūheitia | ||||
| Mother | Makau Ariki Te Atawhai | ||||
| Religion | Catholicism | ||||
| Education | University of Waikato (BA, MA) | ||||
Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō (born 13 January 1997) is the Māori Queen of New Zealand. She became Queen in 2024, taking over from her father, Tūheitia. She is the youngest child and only daughter of Tūheitia.
Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō is a direct descendant of the first Māori King, Pōtatau Te Wherowhero, who began his reign in 1858. She is the eighth leader of the Kīngitanga (Māori King movement). Her title is Te Arikinui Kuīni. She is also the second woman to hold this important position.
She grew up within the Kīngitanga royal family. Her grandmother, Te Atairangikaahu, was the Māori Queen before her father. Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō's early life was full of Māori culture and traditions. She learned a lot about the Kīngitanga movement.
In 2024, after her father passed away, Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō was chosen as the Māori Queen. A special meeting of tribal leaders, called a wānanga, selected her. Her coronation ceremony happened at Tūrangawaewae Marae. This is the main home of the Kīngitanga movement. Many leaders and important people from New Zealand and the Pacific attended. Her becoming Queen shows the Kīngitanga's goal to unite Māori people and protect their rights.
Early Life and Education
Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō Paki was born on 13 January 1997. She is the third child and only daughter of Tūheitia Paki and his wife Te Atawhai. Her grandmother, Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, was the only Māori Queen before her. Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō has two older brothers, Whatumoana Paki and Korotangi Paki.
When she was born, her grandmother was on a canoe journey down the Whanganui River. She asked for a name for the new baby. They chose Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō, which means "the waters joining in the night". This name refers to the meeting of people from the Waikato and Whanganui rivers that night. A Catholic bishop named Max Mariu baptised her.
Māori is her first language. She has always been deeply connected to Māori culture and traditions. When Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō was nine years old, her grandmother died. Her father then became the Māori King.
She went to Te Wharekura o Rakaumanga for school. This is a kura kaupapa Māori (Māori-language school) in Huntly. She received a special scholarship to study at the University of Waikato. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Tikanga Māori (Māori customs) and Reo Māori (Māori language) in 2017. She then completed a Master's degree in Tikanga Māori in 2020.
In 2016, at age 19, she received a moko kauae (chin tattoo). She got it along with her mother and cousin, Nanaia Mahuta. This was to celebrate her father's tenth year as King.
Becoming a Leader
Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō's role in the Kīngitanga became more important in her early twenties. She started to represent her father at cultural and political events. In 2022, she met with Prince Charles in London.
She was appointed to the Waitangi National Trust Board in 2020. In 2023, she joined the University of Waikato Council for four years. She was also a board member of the Waikato-Tainui College for Research and Development. She attended meetings for the Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust. She represented the King, who was the patron of the trust.
Becoming Queen
Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō became Queen at 27 years old. She is the second-youngest person to take on this role. The Māori monarchy is not strictly passed down from parent to child. However, her growing public role made her a strong choice. She had been taking part in official events and representing Māori interests.
When her father, Tūheitia, passed away on 30 August 2024, a new leader needed to be chosen. A wānanga (forum) of tribal leaders selected her. The wānanga was organised by the Tekau-mā-rua. This is the Kīngitanga's advisory council. It includes many important Māori leaders from different iwi (tribes).
Her selection and installation happened during her father's tangihanga (funeral). This took place at Tūrangawaewae Marae. In this ceremony, called Te Whakawahinga, the Tekau-mā-rua led her to the throne. A Bible was placed on her head, a tradition that dates back to the start of the role. Archbishop Donald Tamihere anointed her.
On 22 October 2024, Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō attended a national hui (meeting) for unity. It was held at Tuahiwi Marae, near Christchurch. The meeting focused on indigenous economies. This was one of several meetings her father had called. These meetings were in response to the government's policies towards Māori.
On 19 November 2024, Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō joined a large protest in Wellington. This protest, called the Hīkoi mō te Tiriti, was against the ACT Party's Treaty Principles Bill.
