Nga wai hono i te po facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nga wai hono i te po |
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| Te Arikinui Kuīni | |||||
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Nga wai hono i te po in 2019
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| Māori Queen | |||||
| Reign | 5 September 2024 – present | ||||
| Coronation | 5 September 2024 | ||||
| Predecessor | Tūheitia | ||||
| Born | Nga wai hono i te po Paki 13 January 1997 Waikato, New Zealand |
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| Kāhui Ariki | Te Wherowhero | ||||
| Father | Tūheitia | ||||
| Mother | Makau Ariki Te Atawhai | ||||
| Religion | Roman Catholicism | ||||
| Education | University of Waikato (BA, MA) | ||||
Nga wai hono i te po (born 13 January 1997) became the Māori Queen in 2024. She was chosen to follow her father, King Tūheitia, after he passed away. She is the youngest child and only daughter of King Tūheitia.
Nga wai hono i te po is a direct descendant of Pōtatau Te Wherowhero, who was the very first Māori king in 1858. Her official title is Te Arikinui Kuīni. She is the eighth ruler and the second queen of the Kīngitanga (Māori King movement). The Kīngitanga aims to unite Māori people and protect their rights and lands.
Nga wai hono i te po grew up in the Kīngitanga royal family. Her grandmother, Te Atairangikaahu, was the Māori Queen before her father. Her parents are King Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII and Makau Ariki Atawhai Paki. From a young age, she learned about Māori culture and the traditions of the Kīngitanga movement.
After her father, King Tūheitia, passed away, tribal leaders chose Nga wai hono i te po to be the next Māori Queen. Her coronation ceremony took place at Tūrangawaewae Marae. This is a very important place for the Kīngitanga. Leaders and important people from all over New Zealand and the Pacific attended the event. Her becoming queen was seen as a way to continue the Kīngitanga's important work.
Early Life and Learning
Nga wai hono i te po 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 other Māori queen before her. Nga wai hono i te po has two older brothers, Whatumoana Paki and Korotangi Paki.
When Nga wai hono i te po was born, her grandmother was on a canoe journey. She asked for a name for the new baby. They chose Nga wai hono i te po, which means "the waters joining in the night." This name refers to the meeting of people from different rivers that night. Max Mariu, the first Māori Catholic bishop, baptised her.
Māori is her first language. She has always been very involved in Māori culture and traditions. When she was nine, her grandmother died, and her father became the Māori king. Nga wai hono i te po continued her religious education. In 2007, she received her First Communion and Confirmation during a special church service. This happened during the Koroneihana celebrations, which marked one year since her father became king.
She went to Te Wharekura o Rakaumanga for school. This is a Māori-language school in Huntly. She later received a special scholarship to study at the University of Waikato. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Tikanga Māori (Māori customs and traditions) and Reo Māori (Māori language) in 2017. She then completed a Masters degree in Tikanga Māori in 2020. In 2016, when she was 19, she received a moko kauae (a traditional chin tattoo). Her mother and cousin also received theirs at the same time. This was to celebrate her father's tenth year as king.
Early Work and Roles
In her early twenties, Nga wai hono i te po started taking on more important roles in the Kīngitanga. She began 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. This board helps manage the historic Waitangi Treaty Grounds. In 2023, she was also appointed to the University of Waikato Council for four years. She was also a board member for the Waikato-Tainui College for Research and Development. She attended meetings for the Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust board. This was because the king was a patron of the trust, and she represented him.
Becoming Queen and Her Reign
Nga wai hono i te po became queen at 27 years old. This made her the second-youngest person to take on this role. Becoming the Māori monarch is not automatically passed down from parent to child. Instead, leaders choose the next ruler. However, Nga wai hono i te po had become very well-known in recent years. She had taken part in many official events and represented Māori interests. This made her a strong choice for the role.
When King Tūheitia passed away on 30 August 2024, tribal leaders met to choose his successor. This meeting was called a wānanga (forum). The Tekau-mā-rua, which is the Kīngitanga's advisory council, organised this meeting. This council includes many important Māori leaders, academics, and politicians. They chose Nga wai hono i te po by agreement.
The announcement of her selection and her installation happened during her father's funeral, called a tangihanga. This took place at Tūrangawaewae Marae. In this ceremony, known as Te Whakawahinga, the Tekau-mā-rua led her to the throne. A Bible was placed on her head, a tradition that started with the first king. Archbishop Donald Tamihere then anointed her.
On 22 October 2024, Nga wai hono i te po attended a national hui (meeting) for unity. This meeting was held at Tuahiwi Marae, near Christchurch. It focused on how indigenous economies work. This was one of several meetings her father had called for. These meetings were a response to the New Zealand government's policies towards Māori. On 19 November 2024, she joined thousands of people in Wellington for the Hīkoi mō te Tiriti. This was a nationwide protest against a bill that could affect the Treaty of Waitangi.
On 23 January 2025, Nga wai hono i te po made her first visit as Māori Queen to Rātana Pā. This was part of the yearly Rātana church celebrations. On 19 May 2025, she made her first official visit to Whakatū Marae in the South Island's Marlborough District. The leaders of the eight local tribes welcomed her there.
