Coronation 21 August 2006 House Potatau Te Wherowhero Spouse Te Atawhai Children Whatumoana, Ngawaihono | Father Whatumoana Paki Grandparents Koroki Mahuta Name Tuheitia Paki Great-grandparents Te Rata | |
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Reign 21 August 2006 – present Predecessor Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu Born 21 April 1955 (age 69)
Huntly ( 1955-04-21 ) Issue Whatumoana
Korotangi
Ngawaihono Parents Whatumoana Paki, Te Atairangikaahu People also search for Te Atairangikaahu, Whatumoana Paki, Koroki Mahuta | ||
King Tuheitia signs accord with Corrections to forge new relationship
Tuheitia Paki, KStJ, GCCT, KCLJ (born 21 April 1955), crowned as Te Arikinui Kiingi Tuheitia, is the current Māori King in New Zealand. He is the eldest son of the previous Māori monarch, Dame Te Atairangikaahu, and was announced as her successor and crowned on the same day as her tangihanga (funeral rites) took place, on 21 August 2006.
Contents
- King Tuheitia signs accord with Corrections to forge new relationship
- Family
- Duties and background
- Political issues
- Honours
- References
Family
Tuheitia Paki is the son of Whatumoana Paki and Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, who married in 1952. He was educated at Rakaumanga School in Huntly, Southwell School in Hamilton and St Stephen's College in Bombay, south of Auckland. He has five sisters and one brother: Heeni Katipa (née Paki), Tomairangi Paki, Mihi ki te ao Paki, Kiki Solomon (née Paki), Manawa Clarkson (née Paki) and brother Maharaia Paki.
He is married to Atawhai and has three children: Whatumoana, Korotangi, and Ngawai Hono I Te Po. After Paki's ascent to the throne, Atawhai was appointed patroness of the Māori Women's Welfare League in 2007.
Paki has diabetes and announced in 2013 that due to his health he was establishing Te Kaunihera a te Kiingi (King's Council) and deputising his elder son Whatumoana Te Aa Paki to act in his stead. As the King's representative, Whatumoana was given the title Te Whirinaki a te Kīngi, the title held by Te Wherowhero Tāwhiao while he acted for King Mahuta in the early 1900s.
Duties and background
Prior to becoming King, he was the Tainui Cultural Advisor to Te Wānanga o Aotearoa at Huntly.
He speaks publicly only once a year, at the annual celebrations in Ngaruawahia of his coronation. Since ascending to the throne official duties include:
Political issues
In March 2010, the King threatened to abdicate his title if tribal members "do not fall back into line." He made the announcement after members of the tribe's parliament, Te Kauhanganui, questioned his use of tribal funds and his choice of company directors. His office denied that he mentioned abdication. At the heart of the allegations is the spending of Paki's office which has risen to an annual $1.2 million compared to $250,000 under his mother, with much of the spending going on travel. The funds are provided by Tainui, which has assets worth more than $1 billion .
In December 2010 he attempted to sack the Te Kauhanganui chairperson Tania Martin, Hiiona Marae's elected representative on Te Kauhanganui, in connection with a report which she tabled detailing financial issues. However, the constitutional rules of Tainui's Parliament only allow for Te Kauhanganui itself to elect or remove its chairperson. As of January 2011, Mrs Martin remains the chairperson of Te Kauhanganui, having been reaffirmed by a vote.
In March 2011, issues arose over travel expenses for Te Makau Ariki Atawhai and Te Ariki Tamaroa Whatumoana, Paki's consort and son.
In June 2011, David Rankin of the Ngāpuhi iwi attacked both Paki and the Governments' use of the term "Māori King" to describe him, saying that not only had tribes such as Ngāpuhi never supported the kingitanga movement, but that Paki "[hadn't] even got the Reo" (or Māori language).
Honours
On 27 November 2007, Paki was appointed an Officer of the Venerable Order of Saint John and upgraded to a Knight in 2016. He was appointed to Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown of Tonga during the coronation ceremonies of King George Tupou V of Tonga. In 2010 he was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Lazarus.