The bond between the Pacific and the whare ariki o Te Wherowhero (the house of chief Te Wherowhero) continues to grow stronger ahead of reigning Māori Queen Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po’s second koroneihana (coronation) celebrations, a Kiingitanga spokesperson says.
Pacific traditional leaders to gather at Maori koroneihana
Ariki (chiefs) from across the Pacific will congregate onto Tūrangawaewae Marae (the official headquarters of the Kiingitanga)later this week, embodying an age-old connection, through whakapapa (genealogy), reo (language) and culture.
Kiingitanga spokesperson Rahui Papa said the ancient connections between the Kiingitanga movement (Māori King movement) and the great houses of the Pacific was solidified nearly 100 years ago.
“In the 1940’s, Princess Te Puea went with the then Princess Piki, who later became Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, [and] they travelled extensively across the Pacific,” Papa said.
“They met with Queen Sālote and attended the double weddings of her sons. They met with Pa Ariki in the Cook Islands, in Aitutaki, [meeting chiefs] in Samoa, in Tonga, and in various places across the Pacific.”
Papa said Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu played a role in establishing the South Pacific Forum, now know as the Pacific Islands Forum, which was having its annual leaders meeting in Palau this week.
“In the times of Te Arikinui Te Atairangikaahu, they set up the South Pacific Forum with big names, like Malietoa (Tanumafili II) of Samoa, Ratu [Sir Kamisese] Mara of Fiji, the King of Tonga Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV. A whole lot of those connections are still happening today.”
Papa shared a fond memory from Te Atairangikaahu’s silver anniversary in 1991, the familial connection between all the chiefs from across Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia who attended the celebration.
“I think it was Uncle Koro Wētere [who] talked about the Pacific Ocean as it laps the shores of all of our cousins countries as well as Aotearoa as the connector. Those waves, that ocean was the connector of us, not just in a physical sense, but in a cultural and spiritual sense as well.”
He said Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po has visited and hosted these ariki at various Kiingitanga events during her two years as arikinui, continuing the legacy her tupuna (ancestors).
Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po
Te Tari o te Kiingitanga
“Like Queen Sālote and King Tōfa’ahau. With Ratu Mara, for example, and [Ro] Lady Lala [Mara] who have passed, now their son has taken a leadership role within the [Great] Council of Chiefs in Fiji,” Papa said.
As the new generation of ariki continue to stoke these fires of connection, Papa believed it could be an example the world could take note of.
“With the wars that are happening around Europe and in other places, the Pacific holds a very, very special key to world nationhood, to world whanaungatanga (relationships).
“I think that there are beautiful examples that we can share with the world in the hopes of bringing everyone into the cultural dynamic that is just part of our DNA.”
The ariki are scheduled to be welcomed on Friday morning with Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro leading the group onto the atea.
