The Māori King, Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII, has died just days after celebrating the 18th anniversary of his coronation. Photo: RNZ / Dan Cook
Thousands of people from across Waikato-Tainui will descend on Tuurangawaewae Marae today as tributes continue to pour in for Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII.
The Māori King died early on Friday at the age of 69 after recovering from heart surgery just days after celebrating the anniversary of his 18th koroneihana.
Che Wilson - the chair of tekaumaarua (the King's advisory council) - was at the hospital when King Tuheitia died and was devastated.
"He had had such a great coronation and went in for planned surgery; sadly, we lost him. He had done so much in the 18 years to not only get comfortable in his position but then to get to a space where he was able to bring our people [together], during adverse times. But not just Māori and not just people that live in Aotearoa but through Te Moana-Nui-A-Kiwa," Wilson said.
Read more:
- Māori King Tuheitia dies aged 69
- Obituary: Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII, Māori King, dies at 69
- In photos: Māori King Kiingi Tuheitia's 18-year reign
- Māori King Kiingi Tuheitia funeral: What we know so far about the coming week
Over the next few days, the tangihanga would showcase all of te ao Māori and the King's legacy, Wilson said.
"You'll see the best of Māori pageantry, you'll see our people come to express their grief, to share the thoughts about the king, his deeds in his 18 years and also connect to what's happening right now in our country and how he tried to encourage us to keep our heads up when being put down by the current government and others."
Wilson recalls having a great relationship with Kiingi Tuheitia, saying he was a humble man.
"He'd wear his heart on his sleeve and so you got to know the real person. He took awhile to get used to his role but over the last few years he's been able to take us as a people to a different place and to a different level. He was great to talk to and really down to earth.
For the next six days, there will be two pōwhiri a day - at 8am and 2pm - to welcome guests onto the marae.
Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (Māori Language Commission) chief executive Ngahiwi Apanui Photo: RNZ/Justine Murray
Tuheitia 'set a legacy for the kiingitanga' - Māori Language Commission boss
Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (Māori Language Commission) chief executive Ngahiwi Apanui said he was caught off-guard by the King's death.
The King would be missed, especially around his work and support to help lift te reo Māori, he said.
"Particularly in the last year, where he's encouraged the government and everybody else, all New Zealanders, [to] perceive te reo as part of our Aotearoatanga, our New Zealand-hood, our national identity, which aligns really well with what we're trying to do at Te Taura Whiri, saying to all New Zealanders that te reo Māori is our unique identifier out in [the] international world.
"It's not just been last year, he's been vocal from the time he took to the throne, so for us it means he set a legacy for the kiingitanga of speaking up and supporting te reo Māori. And it means that New Zealanders here... the head of the kiingitanga supporting te reo Māori and you can't underestimate the weight of his word."
The kiingi's tangihanga was a good opportunity for the coalition government to show contributions towards mending the breach between the Māori-Crown relationship, Apanui said.
"That's what he was advocating for ... that the government come together with Māori and act in the spirit of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and to give voice and to give effect to that. Because for a lot of us that has taken a bit of a battering over the last nine months, so I think it's time to mend the bridge and build a new relationship."
From Sunday, the rest of the motu would be invited onto Tuurangawaewae Marae including other iwi, delegations, Pacific leaders and other international dignitaries.