Tūheitia

Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII GCCT KStJ KCLJ (born Tūheitia Paki; 21 April 1955 – 30 August 2024), crowned as Kīngi Tūheitia, reigned as the Māori King from 2006 until his death in 2024. He was the eldest son of the previous Māori monarch, Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, and was announced as her successor and crowned on 21 August 2006, the final day of her tangi.

Tūheitia was patron to Te Matatini, the largest Māori cultural festival, and also of Kirikiriroa Marae in Hamilton. He signed a formal accord with the Department of Corrections in 2017 that led to the establishment of iwi justice panels, as well as centres for female prisoners to reintegrate into prison life after giving birth. He made numerous state visits and met with other monarchs, including Charles III at the latter's coronation in 2023. Tūheitia also advocated for Māori survivors of climate change in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle.

Among his activities, he involved himself in politics, as does the Kīngitanga as an institution. In January 2024, he held a national hui of Māori unity to respond to the policies of the Sixth National Government towards Māori and the Treaty of Waitangi, which the Kīngitanga believed were regressive and would reverse "decades of hard fought justice."

Tūheitia struggled with poor health throughout his life. In 2024, over a week after his eighteenth koroneihana (coronation anniversary), he died in hospital following cardiac surgery. He was succeeded by his daughter Nga wai hono i te po on the day of his funeral.