Tuheitia Paki

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tuheitia Paki
Māori King

Reign	21 August 2006 – present
Coronation	21 August 2006
Full name	Tuheitia Paki
Born	21 April 1955 (1955-04-21) (age 53)
Predecessor	Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu
Consort	Te Atawhai
Issue	Whatumoana Korotangi Ngawaihono
Royal House	Te Wherowhero
Father	Whatumoana Paki
Mother	Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu

Tuheitia Paki OStJ (born 21 April 1955) is the current Māori king in New Zealand (Aotearoa). He is the eldest son of the previous Māori monarch, Dame Te Atairangikaahu, and was announced as her successor and crowned on the same day as her tangihanga (funeral rites) took place, on August 21, 2006. His official title has not yet been decided but it is understood it will not be Te Arikinui (the great leader / chief), his mother's title. [1]

He was educated at Rakaumanga School in Huntly, Southwell School in Hamilton and St Stephen's College in Bombay.

1 Marriage and Family
2 Duties and Background
3 Notes
4 References

[edit] Marriage and Family

He is married to Te Atawhai and has three children: Whatumoana, Korotangi, and Ngawai.

[edit] Duties and Background

Prior to becoming king, he was the Tainui cultural advisor to Te Wananga o Aotearoa at Huntly.Since ascending to the throne official duties include:

attending the funeral of King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV of Tonga, September 2006
attending the opening of Pūkawa Marae on the shore of Lake Taupo, Aotearoa, on 17-19 November 2006.
attending the opening of "Mauri Ora" an exhibition of Māori artefacts from Te Papa on exhibition at the Tokyo National Museum in Tokyo, Japan on 22 January 2007.^[1]^[2]
attending the funeral of Malietoa Tanumafili II of Samoa, 19 May 2007
attending the re-opening of the marae/war memorial hall in Ngaiotonga, Whangaruru 2007