The kīngitanga movement: 160 years of Māori monarchy

[Kahu]

New Zealand’s Māori king, Te Arikinui Kiingi Tūheitia, recently celebrated 160 years since the installation of the first Māori monarch, Pōtatau Te Wherowhero, at Ngāruawāhia on the Waikato River in 1858.

A traditional haka held during the week-long coronation ceremony for the Māori king.

The current Māori king, Te Arikinui Kiingi Tūheitia, in 2012.
Wikimedia Commons

The movement to establish a Māori monarch, known as kīngitanga, emerged following colonisation to protect Māori land ownership and Māori constitutional autonomy. Since then, it has helped bring otherwise independent tribal communities together to protect their tribal identities and resources.
The kīngitanga movement: 160 years of Māori monarchy | Scoop News

The monarch is appointed by the leaders of the tribes involved in the Kīngitanga movement on the day of the previous monarch's funeral and before the burial.[28]

In principle the position of Māori monarch is not hereditary. Thus far however, the monarchy has been hereditary in effect, as every new Māori monarch has been the previous monarch's heir by cognatic primogeniture, descending in seven generations from Pōtatau Te Wherowhero to the present Māori king. With each successive monarch, the role of Pōtatau's family has been entrenched, although after any reign ends there is the potential for the mantle to be passed to someone from another family or tribe if the chiefs of the various tribes are in agreement.

Māori King Movement - Wikipedia

 

[Kahu]

The Maori King is calling for the entire Waikato-Tainui tribal membership to have an "open and frank" discussion over the future of the Kingitanga, asking if the movement is still relevant.
The move has been labelled the most significant hui to be called in decades.
A two-day meeting this week has been called and a programme is being sent to tribal members where King Tuheitia addresses the threat that "comes from within".
"Are my people still willing to live up to and honour their responsibilities as kaitiaki of the Kingitanga?" he wrote.
The meeting was called after he asked for tribal politicians to vacate their posts and warned the tribe was on the "brink of calamity".
Maori King calls hui on Kingitanga's future

Watch: Thousands turn out to support Kingitanga movement on 160th anniversary
A waka extravaganza has taken place on the Waikato River to celebrate the 160th anniversary of the Kingitanga movement.

Celebrations are taking place at Turangawaewae Marae in Ngaruawahia today.

King Tuheitia, the seventh Maori monarch since the Kingitanga movement started in 1858, spoke on the marae to commemorate the movement.

"One hundred and sixty years ago, our collective wakas from across the motu (nation) gathered to usher in and establish the Kingitanga and what was to become the Maori monarchy," he said.

King Tuheitia took on the role of Maori King after the passing of his mother the Maori Queen, Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikahu.
Watch: Thousands turn out to support Kingitanga movement on 160th anniversary

 

[Kahu]

Kingitanga 160th Anniversary Celebration
Catch hold of the moment and listen to ngaa kauwhau from Iwi leaders like Te Kahautu Maxwell, Rikirangi Gage, Jeremy Tatere Macleod and many others who'll share invaluable insights into the importance and the responsibility for all iwi to lead the movement forward, so that it inspires future generations as it has inspired those who have gone before.

 

[Kahu]

WIPCE 2017: Indigenous peoples are resilient

Thousands of indigenous peoples were welcomed to Canada with an indigenous ceremony by the natives of Canada today at Sin Nations Reserve. Celebrating resilience is the theme for this year’s conference. And as Te Okiwa McLean reports the first nation peoples are driving to set up the very first indigenous university in Canada.