2024-09-06 15:47:31
The Maoris of New Zealand have chosen their new queen, after the death of her father. Nga Wai hono i te po Paki was delighted at an inauguration ceremony in the North Island, attended by thousands. But who is the woman? What is your role? 20 minutes explained everything to you.
Who is Nga Wai?
Nga Wai is a 27-year-old woman, which marks “a break with the traditional choices of leaders among Maori where the oldest child, generally a man, tends to succeed”, Karaitiana told AFP Taiuru, a cultural consultant. “The Māori world is yearning for youth leadership” at a time undergoing many changes, he stressed.
The new queen is the youngest child and only daughter of King Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII, who died peacefully on Friday at the age of 69, surrounded by her family, days after celebrating the 18th anniversary of her coronation, according to a speaker’s words. .
What are your sources in Maori culture?
To mark his father’s anniversary in 2016, he has a traditional tattoo on his forehead. In the past, he studied Maori language and cultural law at the University of Waikato (North Island) and also taught children music and dance.
Queen Nga Wai was the eighth Māori king and second queen. His grandmother, Queen Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, previously held the position for four years, until 2006.
How did your launch go?
He was escorted to his throne by autographed, tattooed men carrying ceremonial spears, while a chorus of black-clad women sang in his honor.
Wearing a crown of leaves on her head and a whalebone necklace around her neck, the new queen sat beside her father’s casket while prayers and hymns were recited, and rituals were performed.
What role did the Maori king have?
King Charles III, the king of England, was the head of New Zealand, while the Māori king played an important ceremonial role, without legal status. But it has a cultural and sometimes political significance, as a powerful symbol of Māori identity and kinship.
As the new queen, Nga Wai will have to “preserve Maori culture and community”, explains The Guardian. Maoris are believed to have come from the islands around Tahiti and represent about 17% of New Zealand’s population, or some 900,000 people.
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