New Zealand’s Maori king dies aged 69

Aug. 30 () –

The Maori King of New Zealand, Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII, died on Monday at the age of 69, in the company of his wife and children, after being admitted to hospital recovering from a heart operation.

According to his office on Facebook, “the death of King Tukheitia is a moment of great sadness” for both his followers and “the entire nation.”

The country’s Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, mourned the loss, stressing his “unwavering commitment to his people and his tireless efforts to defend the values ​​and traditions” that have “left an indelible mark on our nation.”

His predecessor, Jacinda Arden, has stressed that he was “a champion of Maori, of equity, justice and prosperity.” “He may now rest in peace,” she said, stressing that he worked “tirelessly to foster understanding and knowledge of our shared history.”

The monarch, born in 1955, took office in 2006 after the death of his mother, Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu. Maori royalty dates back to 1858, when the indigenous people elected their first king to unify the tribes and survive the arrival of the British Westerners who colonised the island.