On Friday, 30 August, the Māori king, Kiingi Tuheitia, died peacefully in hospital, aged 69. He was recovering from planned heart surgery.

Although the king had had health problems, including cancer and diabetes, his death was unexpected, especially because he had celebrated the 18th anniversary of his coronation only a few days before. Now, he is lying in state at Turangawaewae Marae in Ngāruawāhia, which is north of Hamilton. Thousands of people are going there to pay their respects, including people from various iwi from all around the country, the Governor-General, leaders of New Zealand’s political parties, and leaders from the Pacific Islands. The tangihanga, or funeral, will continue until Thursday, when he will be taken to Taupiri Mountain, where the kings and queens of the Kiingitanga are buried. The flags on all government and public buildings around New Zealand are now flying at half-mast, to mark his death.

Kiingi Tuheitia became king in August 2006, after the death of his mother. He was the seventh monarch since the Kiingitanga movement was founded in 1858. This movement wanted to unite many tribes so that they could stop the sale of land to Pākehā, stop fighting between Māori, and to maintain Māori culture. The Kiingitanga movement remains influential. Earlier this year, the king called a meeting to discuss the government’s proposals around Te Tiriti o Waitangi (the Treaty of Waitangi) and te reo Māori (the Māori language), and around 10,000 people came to the meeting.

Unlike royal families in other countries, we do not know yet who will be the next monarch. The Kiingitanga is an elective monarchy, so the leaders from different iwi will meet in the next couple of days to choose the next king or queen from the monarch’s whānau (or family). The new monarch will be crowned on the final day of the tangi.

Vocabulary

surgery –an operation

coronation – a ceremony when someone is officially made king or queen

lying in state – after an important person dies, their body is in a public place

at half-mast – if a flag is flying at half-mast, the flag is raised to halfway up the pole to show respect and sadness for someone who has died

monarch – a king or queen

elective – chosen by election. In this case, a group of Māori leaders choose the next monarch

to be crowned – (passive) when someone puts a crown on the head of a new king or queen in a ceremony

Many Māori words are used in New Zealand English:

marae – a meeting place

iwi – tribe

tangihanga or tangi – funeral

Pākehā – a European New Zealander

reo – language

whānau – family