‘Thousands’ of Northlanders expected to pay respects to Kīngi Tūheitia at tangi

Kīngi Tūheitia passed away on Friday aged 69 while recovering from heart surgery.

Thousands from Northland are expected to converge on Tūrangawaewae Marae in Waikato today as they pay respects to the late Māori King, Kīngi Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII, who passed away on Friday aged 69.

Northland Māori leaders say his passing and the coming together of iwi across the motu marks a symbolic moment in history of the unification he had long called for.

Flags on Government buildings were ordered to be flown at half-mast as a mark of respect last week, and world leaders including King Charles expressed their sadness at his passing.

Ngā Tai o Tokerau Māori ward councillor and Ngāpuhi leader Penetaui Kleskovic called for all Tai Tokerau tribes and Ngāpuhi-nui-tonu to attend a hui at Māhurehure Marae in Auckland on Sunday to plan and ensure oratory quality.

“It’s important [in] the north that we have a great level of northern readiness for this historic occasion,” Kleskovic told the Advocate.

“The presence of the Northland iwi at the tangi would demonstrate manaakitanga [respect, support] and whānaungatanga [connection, kinship].”

Part of that would be remembering the late king for his grandmother’s whakapapa to Te Aupōuri (Te Kao) in the Far North.

Those blood ties serve as a reminder of the legacy left behind by the late king, who only recently made a call for kotahitanga [unity, solidarity].

Te Pāti Māori Tai Tokerau representative Mariameno Kapa-Kingi said that call echoed in her memory as the king’s ongoing legacy.

Kapa-Kingi met Tūheitia on a number of occasions and said despite the enormous role he was charged with, he was also an “ordinary, kind and loving man, father, grandfather and brother”.

His encouragement of kotahitanga would be marked over the coming days as thousands from Northland but nationwide were expected to converge on Tūrangawaewae, she said.

Te Pati Maori MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi in the Parliament chamber at her swearing-in ceremony. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Kapa-Kingi said there was huge effort and much logistics involved in making the marae ready to receive a large influx of people coming to show their respect for the king and his whanāu.

Ties to Northland would be important moving forward as she believed the institution would be critical for the future of Māori, and ultimately the nation.

Green Party Tai Tokerau leader Hūhana Lyndon was one of about 3000 who came on to the marae on Sunday - with two busloads of Ngāti Hine representatives led by kaumātua Waihoroi Shortland.

Lyndon said the energy was “beautiful” in terms of unity but sad because Tūheitia had “so much more to do”.

Outside Tūrangawaewae Marae (from left): Hūhana Lyndon, Joe Harawira of the Governor-General's office, Waihoroi Shortland and wife Rahera Shortland.

Lyndon acknowledged the late king’s dedication to the health of Māori people, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ngāti Hine followed kaumātua Shortland on to the marae to escort Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro (Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Kahu, Ngāpuhi).

Shortland then presented a kōrero, which was followed by a waiata from the wider Ngāti Hine group.

“[Sunday comprised] a very special duty that was bestowed on us as Ngāti Hine,” Shortland said.

He said the tangi was yet another reminder of the king’s dedication to uniting Māori to achieve great things.

“The king was instrumental in arousing that within people,” he said.

Far North Mayor Moko Tepania said the passing was a sad moment, not just for Māoridom but all of Aotearoa.

He also made mention of the recent call for unity, which he said was not meant only for Māori but for all.

“His passing is incredibly symbolic of the unity we’ve seen across Aotearoa,” Tepania said.

“He’s left an incredible legacy.”

Far North Kahika (Mayor) Moko Tepania. Photo / Michael Cunningham

The mayor felt humbled to attend alongside the delegation from Northland.

Equally humbling was having the “prominent Māori leader” attend Waitangi commemorations earlier this year to “come home and personify walking the talk”.

He said his thoughts were with the Kīngitanga movement as well as kāhui ariki [royal family members].

Father’s Day served as a reminder that Kīngi Tūheitia was not just a father to his own children, but the whole nation, he said.

A wānanga is set to take place in the coming days to decide who will succeed to the throne and will likely be announced on Thursday after the burial.

Brodie Stone is an education and general news reporter at the Advocate. Brodie has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond.