Ruth Clarke, Waikato, Pare Hauraki, Ngāti Whātua. Te Rau Urungi Arotahi (NZBMS).
E tangi ana te iwi Maaori, e karanga ana ngaa tuupuna e takato ana i te maunga o Taupiri. E te Kiingi Tuheitia Potatau Te Wherowhero te Tuawhitu – moe mai raa.
We are sad to learn of the passing of our Maaori King Tuuheitia Potatau VII.
Today the motu joins with Waikato as we unite to farewell Kiingi Tuheitia Potatau Te Wherowhero te Tuawhitu. Tuheita has been acknowledged as Te Kiingi o te Kotahitanga, as he was able to unite the motu earlier this year. Only just a week after his 18th Koroneihana, sadly, Turangawaewae Marae calls for the people to unite once more, to pay respects to our to Kiingi Tuheita. Ki Te Whare Ariki, ki Te Kahu Ariki, e rere ngaa roimata – our prayers and thoughts are with the whaanau as they mourn their loss.
“Our time is now, Kotahitanga is the way.” Quoted by Tuheitia, we now return the saying; Your time has passed, but your way of Kotahitanga lives on.
Image credit: Māori King Kīngi Tūheitia Paki at opening of Waikato Regional Council premises in 2021 (cropped). Source https://gg.govt.nz/image-galleries/9208/media?page=1 Author New Zealand Government, Office of the Governor-General
