Te Arikinui Tuheitia Paki, Maori Monarch

E te Arikinui, Te Atairangikaahu
Queen, Te Atairangkaahu

Te mokopuna o te motu, te whaea o te whenua
The grandchild of the region, the mother of the land

Moe mai i te poho o te tupuna whare, Mahinaarangi,
Rest in peace in the bosom of the ancestral home, Mahinaarangi

I te whakaharahara o tou marae rongonui, Turangawaewae.
In the magnificence of your well known marae, Turangawaewae

Moe mai i raro i te mauri o te maungatapu o Taupiri
Rest in peace in the spirit of your sacred mountain, Taupiri

E hoe tou waka tapu i runga i tou awa, Waikato
Guide your sacred waka gracefully over the waters of Waikato

E ki a nei te kōrero
As the saying goes

Waikato taniwharau, he piko he taniwha, he piko he taniwha
Waikato of a hundred bends and on every bend a chief

Haere atu ra e te ariki i ngā kapua e rere ki tua
Farewell te Arikinui, on the clouds that speed you beyond

Mai ngā tohu-a-Māori hei piata mai
Bypassing the many symbols of Māoridom that shine upon your journey

Te whakamōhio te huarahi tika, huarahi pai
To ensure your journey is straight and true

Hei kawe nei tou tira ki tēra wāhi o tatou
Carrying you to that everlasting place

Ki hawaiki nui, hawaiki roa, hawaiki pāmamao
To the big hawaiki, the long hawaiki, the hawaiki far away

Te hono I wairua
Where the spirits meet

Rire rire ... paimarire.
Farewell

New Zealand Maori Choose New King

Elders from New Zealand's indigenous Maori population have named 51-year-old Tuheitia Paki as their new king.

King Tuheitia, a university manager and cultural adviser, was chosen at a secret meeting in Ngaruawahia village.

He is the eldest son of the previous monarch, Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, who died last week.

Dame Te Ata held the throne for 40 years, making her the longest-serving monarch in the 150 years since the Maori began choosing their leaders.

Public approval

King Tuheitia has a wife, Te Atawhai, and three children.

He is the seventh Maori monarch - all are from the same family line and were each chosen by Maori leaders from other tribes.



His naming and enthronement happened shortly before the funeral of his mother Dame Te Ata, who died at 75.

Thousands of Maori had gathered at the traditional meeting place in Ngaruawahia for both events and before King Tuheitia was crowned, the crowd was asked if he should become monarch.

Having been given the people's approval he was then crowned in a simple ceremony which involved him being tapped on the head with a Bible - the same Bible was used to crown the six previous Maori monarchs.

Then, wearing his late mother's feather cloak, King Tuheitia joined her funeral service.

The service was attended by New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark and two former prime ministers.

During the ceremony messages from Queen Elizabeth II, who is New Zealand's head of state, Pope Benedict XVI and several Pacific leaders were read out.

Her coffin was then taken several kilometres along the Waikato river by Maori canoe to Taupiri Mountain, the sacred burial place of the Tainui tribe, where Dame Te Ata will be interred alongside her predecessors.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/5269822.stm

Published: 2006/08/21 04:01:33 GMT

© BBC MMVI