Thousands of mourners from across the country gathered today at Tūrangawaewae Marae for the funeral of Kīngi Tūheitia. Video / Carson Bluck
As hundreds of people descended on and around Taupiri maunga, all eyes were on the Waikato River as they waited to catch the first glimpse of the waka guiding their late king to his final resting place.
Among the mourners was pensioner Ruta Wright, who was also at Taupiri on the day Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu’s casket was brought via waka on the river.
“You will hear them first,” she says matter-of-factly.
And sure enough, we do. From across the awa come the low yet loud sounds of haka and chanting. The four waka, including that carrying the late Kīngi Tūheitia, have arrived.
Ruta Wright, 72, was on Taupiri Maunga when Te Atairangikaahu was laid to rest in 2006 and was there again to farewell Kīngi Tūheitia. Photo / Vaimoana Mase
Wright, 72, looks out at the scene with sad eyes. It is an emotional day for many in the crowd - but there is also pride, mana and humility.
“I was here for his mother’s final day and now I’m here for his,” she says.
Wright explains that at Dame Te Ata’s funeral, in 2006, she and a number of relatives were involved. Her brother was among the men on the waka who carried the late Queen’s casket to Taupiri, while others were part of the kitchen team.
The waka is carrying the casket of the late King, as well as his grieving family, including newly-anointed Kuini Ngā Wai hono i te pō. Photo / Carson Bluck
“I was one of about 20 women who were the kaikaranga [callers] here on the maunga.
“We were stationed all the way up the mountain and I was near the very top - near the area where only the ariki [royal] family are permitted. I wasn’t going to go past that,” she said.
“We were up at the top and I could see the waka coming in - there were two. There was just so much mamae [pain].”
Wright, from Te Awamutu, said they had travelled every day to be at Tūrangawaewae Marae during the tangi proceedings - both for Dame Te Ata’s final days and for the late King.
The late King’s casket is being carried onto Taupiri - where more mourners begin to chant and cry. Hundreds of people standing on the maunga dressed in black are performing a haka - Te Waka then Ka Mate.
Photo / Mike Scott
Asked for her thoughts about the new monarch, Queen Ngā Wai hono i te pō, she said she was thrilled.
“She’s beautiful - very humble and has a beautiful nature and wit too. I don’t know her personally, but we Māori hear about each other and hear about reputations.
Alisha Hiakita and daughter Ria-Āio, 5. Photo / Vaimoana Mase
“How I feel about her [taking up the throne] is exactly how I feel about her grandmother. She was a beautiful person - she spoke to us normal people and not just in a crowd, but individually.
“I’d sometimes see her at the shop or somewhere and she’d say: ‘Kia ora’! It was like she knew me,” Wright laughed.
As well as the elderly, many in the crowd were from younger generations - including young mothers and fathers who wanted to bring their children to see the monarch whose reign would be during their lifetime.
Alisha Hiakita and her 5-year-old daughter Ria-Āio were dressed to the nines in traditional black but with flashes of blue feathers to represent where they come from - Ngāti Mahanga.
Before the new monarch was announced, the 32-year-old was quick to respond when asked who she wanted to see take up the throne.
“Oh definitely Ngā Wai. We need a Kuini [queen] again because she is everything that her Nanny was.
“She’s smart and humble - she’s ready for this role and if she’s not quite ready, then she’s ready enough; especially with all the support around her.”
And when the new leader was finally announced - a Queen - there were cheers and loud applause from all around Tūrangawaewae Marae.
Outside the marae’s courtyard, there were hundreds of people watching proceedings on a big screen. A little girl on her tiptoes, struggling to see, was told by her mum to run to the front to sit with the other young children watching.
“She is their queen now, of course.”
Vaimoana Mase is the Pasifika editor for the Herald’s Talanoa section, sharing stories from the Pacific community. She won junior reporter of the year at the then Qantas Media Awards in 2010 and won the best opinion writing award at the 2023 Voyager Media Awards.
