Maori Queen’s Funeral and Succession

I am sitting here this morning relaxing and for one of the first mornings I’ve switched on the tellie. The main television channels are all showing live the Maori Queen Te Ata’s funeral—I had forgotten or I would have watched it earlier. The new king just sat down in the throne, a 51-year-old man—once they start speaking Maori I can’t keep up!

Dame Te Ata was queen for 40 years, and before her father was king for the longest reign, 43 years. The new king—I can’t tell you his name right now as I can only hear it and can’t spell it—is in the same family, his grandfather was Dame Te Ata’s father.

The last six monarchs have all been descendants of the first Maori King, Potatau Te Wherowhero, who was elected by 22 different iwi in 1858. The New Zealand Herald announced that the new Maori King is Tuheitia Paki, the eldest son of Dame Te Atairangikaahu (Te Ata for short) who had been expected to be the next leader of the Kingitanga movement (the King movement, see my history blogs about this). He is a cultural advisor for his iwi, and is married with three children. Apparently he was favoured by several influential iwi eager to see the return of a king. Maori women do not have a major role in leadership; in fact the process for this funeral has been for the men to stand in front of all women, the women were placed in different and rear-ward parts of the funeral processions and positions.

iwi are tribes, and yes in lowercase letters. All the iwi from across New Zealand are present for the funeral and selection of the new king. The iwi chiefs met over the weekend to select the new king, as is tradition to do so before the former monarch is laid to rest. Apparently the selection was perfunctory, many feel, as the new king was pre-determined prior to discussion. I am watching the homage being paid to the queen, her laying to rest, and the ascension of the new king. It has never been done before in a public manner, both with non-iwi and Pakeha (white settlers originally, but evolving over time to mean non-indigenous New Zealanders) present, but also with television coverage. The announcers are describing a deeply personal, spiritual chant and ceremony being done and that those present—including Prime Minister Helen Clark of Labour—are extremely fortunate to be involved, as only the closest and most important are usually allowed to bear witness. How lucky that they have decided to televise all of this for everyone to see!

The announcers are naming the Pakeha who are in attendance, many of whom were helpful to the Maori cause over the years in the courts and in politics, helpful in resolving the Treaty of Waitangi and helpful to the Maori generally in helping them to come to terms (in so many ways, politically, economically, personally) with the changes in New Zealand.

But how fascinating that this native peoples tribal celebration makes the national television news—LIVE! New Zealand is not much older than the U.S. and the importance of Queen Te Ata’s death and the selection of her successor to this country and to other Pacific Island countries has been so vastly different than what I have seen in my life. The indigenous people in New Zealand may have their differences with the Pakeha over this country’s history but I have never seen a people treated with more sincerity and honor than I am seeing this morning and throughout the past week. Such reverence!