King Tuheitia 1955 - 2024

Whakataurangi ake te here ki taku ate
Pupū ake nei te mauri o te aroha
He hononga ki te iwi kua whakangaro
Ki te pō te pō uriuri ki te pō i oti atu
 
Auē taukuri! Te mamae i roto i a mātou e!
Ka heke a hupe, a waikamo o tō Whānau o Waipareira
Mōu rā te manu noho Mātārae o te kotahitanga
Ko koe te tohu o te Mana Motuhake
Kīngi Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII
18 tau koe e noho ana ki te Ahurewa tapu a ō Mātua Tūpuna
E whakakotahi nei i a tātou katoa o te iwi Māori
Kua mū tō reo, ka taka ā-roto
Haehaetia te kiri i te mamae
i tō rironga tītapu ki te pō
Kei tō tātou Kīngi e hoki koe
Ki ngā rua kōiwi a ō mātua tūpuna
Moe mai rā, moe mai rā, moe mai rā

The Kīngitanga in our people’s darkest moments gave us light and hope. It is a Māori movement that never surrendered its Mana. The passing of Kingi Tuheitia is deeply regretted…. Each of the holders of this great office brought their own sense of leadership. Tuheitia understood the working class, he was not brought up with bells and whistles. He had that common man’s touch and a wonderful sense of humour. We will miss that. But the movement lives on forever.

Long live the Kīngitanga.

John Tamihere