() – The king of the indigenous Maori people of New Zealand, Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII, died peacefully this Friday, according to his representatives. He was 69 years old.
“The death of Kiingi Tuheitia is a moment of great sadness for followers of Te Kiingitanga, Maaoridom and the entire nation,” spokesperson Rahui Papa said in a statement.
The king had been in hospital recovering from heart surgery just days after celebrating the 18th anniversary of his coronation, the statement added. In recent years he had suffered from health problems, including cancer and diabetes, according to affiliate RNZ.
The position of Māori monarch originated in 1858 during a movement known as Kiingitanga that sought to strengthen indigenous resistance to colonialism. Considered the chief of several tribes, the monarch has no judicial or legal authority, but plays an important ceremonial role.
The Māori community, which makes up almost a fifth of New Zealand’s more than 5 million people, often suffers from discrimination that results in poorer health and educational outcomes and higher rates of incarceration.
In January, Tuheitia hosted more than 10,000 Māori for a conversation about how to respond to the government’s plans to cancel reforms that many indigenous people believed undermined their rights, Reuters then reported.
He right-wing government of New Zealand proposed dissolving the country’s Maori health authority, suppressing the use of the Maori language, and ending limits on tobacco sales, a measure that Maori leaders had sought to reduce high rates of smoking in their community.
Born Tuheitia Paki in 1955 in the North Island town of Huntly, the king was educated in Waikato and Auckland.
He was crowned on August 21, 2006, after the death of his motherTe Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu.
Tuheitia will rest at Turangawaewae Marae, seat of the Kiingitanga, for five days before being transferred to his final resting place at the sacred site of Mount Taupiri.
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon led tributes to Tuheitia and declared the country would mourn the king’s death.
“His unwavering commitment to his people and his tireless efforts to uphold Kiingitanga values and traditions have left an indelible mark on our nation,” he stated in a statement.
Former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern described Tuheitia as a champion of the Māori people, as well as fairness, justice and prosperity.
King Charles of Great Britain and Northern Ireland said in a statement that he and Queen Camilla were “deeply saddened” to learn of Tuheitia’s death and referred to a Maori proverb, saying “a mighty cattail tree has fallen.”
“I had the great pleasure of knowing Kiingi Tuheitia for decades,” Carlos said. “He was deeply committed to forging a strong future for Māori and Aotearoa-New Zealand based on culture, traditions and healing, which he carried out with wisdom and compassion.”
Tuheitia is survived by his wife, Te Atawhai, his two sons, Whatumoana and Korotangi, and his daughter, Ngā Wai hono i te po Paki, according to RNZ.
The position of Māori monarch is not rightfully hereditary, RNZ reported. The leaders of the tribes associated with the Kiingitanga appoint a new monarch on the day of the previous monarch’s funeral and before his burial.
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