Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō |
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| Te Arikinui | |||||||||
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Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō in 2019
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| Māori Queen | |||||||||
| Reign | 5 September 2024 – present | ||||||||
| Coronation | 5 September 2024 | ||||||||
| Predecessor | Tūheitia | ||||||||
| Born | Ngāwai Hono i te Pō Paki 1996 or 1997 Waikato, New Zealand |
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| Kāhui Ariki | Te Wherowhero | ||||||||
| Father | Tūheitia | ||||||||
| Mother | Makau Ariki Te Atawhai | ||||||||
| Religion | Pai Mārire, Anglican Church | ||||||||
| Education | Master of Arts | ||||||||
| Alma mater | University of Waikato | ||||||||
Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō (born 1996 or 1997) is the current Queen of the Māori King movement (Māori: Kīngitanga). She was raised to the throne on 5 September 2024, being elected to succeed her father Kīngi Tūheitia. Her full name and title is Te Arikinui Kuīni Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō. Her titles Te Arikinui (meaning Paramount Chief) and Kuīni (meaning Queen) were bestowed when she became monarch. The youngest child and only daughter of Tūheitia, she is a direct descendant of the first Māori King, Pōtatau Te Wherowhero, who was installed in 1858. She is the eighth monarch of the Kīngitanga.
Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō was born into the Kīngitanga royal family during the reign of her paternal grandmother Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu. She is the youngest child of Kīngi Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII and Makau Ariki Atawhai Paki. Her early life was steeped in the cultural and spiritual practices of the Māori people, with a particular focus on the traditions of the Kīngitanga movement.
In 2024, following the death of her father, Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō was selected as the Māori Queen by the Tekau-mā-rua. Her coronation took place at Tūrangawaewae Marae, the seat of the Kīngitanga, in a ceremony attended by leaders and dignitaries from across the country and the Pacific. Her ascension was seen as a continuation of the Kīngitanga's mission to unify Māori people and protect their rights. Kuīni Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō is the second woman to lead the movement. Her grandmother, Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, was the longest-serving Māori monarch, from 1966 to 2006.
Early life and education
Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō Paki is the third child and only daughter born to Tūheitia Paki and his wife Te Atawhai. Her paternal grandmother was Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, the only previous Māori queen, who also gave her her name. She has two older brothers, Whatumanawa Paki and Korotangi Paki. When she was a child, her grandmother the queen died and her father became the Māori king. Te reo Māori is her first language.
Born into the Tainui royal family, Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō has been deeply immersed in Māori culture and traditions from an early age. She attended local schools in Waikato. She received a Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship to study for a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Waikato, where she studied Tikanga Māori and te reo Māori. She earned a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in Tikanga Māori, demonstrating her commitment to preserving and promoting Māori culture, language, and values.
Her passion for kapa haka, a traditional Māori performing art, has been a significant part of her life, and she has been involved in performances at various national events. She began teaching the art in her second year at the University of Waikato.
She received her moko kauae in 2016, at age 19, as part of celebrations surrounding her father's tenth year on the throne.
Early career
Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō's role within the Kīngitanga became more prominent in her early twenties as she began to represent her father at cultural and political events. In 2022 she met with then-Prince Charles in London. She was involved in governance roles, such as serving on the Waitangi National Trust Board, which she was appointed to in 2020, and worked closely with Māori communities across New Zealand. Her increasing public presence and leadership in important Māori ceremonies positioned her as a key figure in the Kīngitanga succession.
Role and ascension
Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō ascended the throne at the age of 27, the second-youngest to do so. Her ascension was not automatic, as the Māori monarchy is not strictly hereditary. However, her growing prominence in recent years, including her participation in official engagements and representation of Māori interests, positioned her as a strong candidate.
Tūheitia's death on 30 August 2024 triggered the election of the VIII Māori monarch by the Tekau-mā-rua, a diverse group of prominent Māori iwi leaders, academics, executives, and politicians from across many iwi, including those unaffiliated with the Kīngitanga. The announcement of her selection and her installation took place during the tangihanga (funeral) of her father, Kiingi Tūheitia, at Tūrangawaewae Marae. This ceremony, known as Te Whakawahinga, involved the Tekau-mā-rua, the Kiingitanga advisory council, who played a crucial role in selecting her as the new leader. The ceremony included the placing of a Bible on her head, a tradition that dates back to the establishment of the first Māori King, Pōtatau Te Wherowhero. She was annointed by Archbishop Don Tamihere.
As the head of the Kīngitanga, Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō is responsible for upholding the spiritual, cultural, and political values of the movement. Her role involves representing Māori interests at a national and international level.
