Māori King movement

Queen of the Kīngitanga
Kuīni
Te Paki-o-Matariki
Coat of arms of the Kīngitanga
Incumbent
Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō
since 5 September 2024
Flag of the Kīngitanga
Details
StyleTe Arikinui
and then Te Kuīni
Heir apparentNone; elective
First monarchPōtatau Te Wherowhero
Formation1858
ResidenceTūrongo House, Tūrangawaewae
AppointerIwi of the Kīngitanga

The Māori King movement, called the Kīngitanga[a] in Māori, is a Māori movement that came from some of the Māori tribes of New Zealand in the 1850s. They wanted to create a role that was similar to that of the monarch of the British colonists.[3]

The first Māori king, Pōtatau Te Wherowhero, was crowned in 1858. The monarchy is non-hereditary as every monarch has to be elected by a forum of tribal leaders.

The eighth monarch is Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō, was elected and crowned in September 2024.

List of Māori monarchs

No. Portrait Regnal name
(Birth–Death) 		Reign Birth name Spouse(s)
Makau Ariki 		House
Kāhui Ariki
Start End
1 Pōtatau Te Wherowhero
died 1860 		June 1858 25 June 1860 Te Wherowhero Whakaawi, Waiata, Raharaha, Ngāwaero Te Wherowhero
2 Tūkaroto Matutaera Pōtatau Te Wherowhero Tāwhiao
c. 1822–1894 		25 June 1860 26 August 1894 Tūkaroto Pōtatau Te Wherowhero Hera Ngāpora, Rangiaho Taimana, Aotea Te Paratene Te Wherowhero
3 Mahuta Tāwhiao Pōtatau Te Wherowhero
c. 1854/55–1912 		26 August 1894 9 November 1912 Whatiwhatihoe Te Marae Te Wherowhero
4 Te Rata Mahuta Tāwhiao Pōtatau Te Wherowhero
c. 1878–1933 		24 November 1912 1 October 1933 Te Rata Mahuta Te Uranga Te Wherowhero
5 Korokī Te Rata Mahuta Tāwhiao Pōtatau Te Wherowhero
1906–1966 		8 October 1933 18 May 1966 Korokī Te Rata Mahuta Tāwhiao Pōtatau Te Wherowhero Te Atairangikaahu Hērangi Te Wherowhero
6 Te Atairangikaahu
1931–2006 		23 May 1966 15 August 2006 Pikimene Korokī Mahuta Whatumoana Paki Te Wherowhero
7 Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero
1955–2024 		21 August 2006 30 August 2024 Tūheitia Paki Te Atawhai Te Wherowhero
8 Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō Pōtatau Te Wherowhero
b. 1997 		5 September 2024 present Nga wai hono i te po Paki Te Wherowhero

Notes

  1. ↑ Also spelled Kiingitanga. The preferred orthography of the Waikato-Tainui iwi is to use doubled vowels rather than macrons to indicate long vowels.[1][2]

References

  1. ↑ "Te Wiki o Te Reo Maaori Discovery Trail". Waikato Museum Te Whare Taonga o Waikato. Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  2. ↑ "Governance". Waikato-Tainui. Archived from the original on 27 May 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  3. ↑ "Mana Whenua". Bateman New Zealand Historical Atlas. 1997. plate 36. ISBN 1-86953-335-6.