At the age of 69, the monarch of New Zealand’s Indigenous Maori people died Friday while recovering from heart surgery, with aides declaring he had “passed to the great beyond”.
King Tuheitia died peacefully surrounded by family, according to a spokeswoman, only days after commemorating the 18th anniversary of his coronation.
He had been in the hospital after undergoing heart surgery.
“The death of Kiingi Tuheitia is a moment of great sadness,” the spokesperson added in a statement. “A chief who has passed to the great beyond. Rest in love.”
The Kiingitanga — Maori King movement — was founded in 1858 to unite New Zealand’s Indigenous Maori under a single sovereign.
The position has significant political and symbolic weight but carries no legal status.
New Zealand’s Maori comprise about 17 per cent of the population or about 900,000 people.
King Charles III, New Zealand’s formal head of state, said he was “shocked” by the news, having recently spoken to King Tuheitia by phone.
“My wife and I were profoundly saddened to learn of the death of Kiingi Tuheitia,” the king said in a statement.
“I had the greatest pleasure of knowing Kiingi Tuheitia for decades.
“He was deeply committed to forging a strong future for Maori and Aotearoa-New Zealand founded upon culture, traditions and healing, which he carried out with wisdom and compassion,” he said, using the country’s Maori and English-language names.
The UK monarch said he remembered with “immense fondness” his meetings with King Tuheitia in New Zealand in 2015 and at Buckingham Palace last year.
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon led the tributes from the Pacific nation as flags on government and public buildings were flown at half-mast.
“Today, we mourn,” Luxon said in a statement from Tonga, where he is attending the Pacific Islands Forum.
“His unwavering commitment to his people and his tireless efforts to uphold the values and traditions of the Kiingitanga have left an indelible mark on our nation.
“I will remember his dedication to Aotearoa New Zealand, his commitment to mokopuna (young people), his passion for te ao Maori (customs), and his vision for a future where all people are treated with dignity and respect.”
‘Rest easy now’
Tuheitia was Kiingitanga’s eighth ruler. In 2006, he replaced his mother, Queen Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, who had held the post for 40 years.
The Maori monarch has been a prominent voice in New Zealand politics, particularly on matters related to the country’s colonial history.
When Europeans arrived in New Zealand in 1642, they brought with them colonialism, anti-Maori discrimination, and fierce warfare, which was eventually put an end to by the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840.
The treaty, signed by the British and hundreds of Maori chiefs, is regarded as the founding document of New Zealand, establishing British rule over the territory.
However, it also gave the Maori the same rights as British subjects, as well as power over “taonga” or intangible assets.
Tuheitia issued an impassioned plea in March for whales to be afforded the same legal rights as humans in order to safeguard the revered but fragile species.
He wanted mammals to have intrinsic rights, such as access to a healthy environment, so that their populations could be restored.
Former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern paid tribute to the late Indigenous ruler in a statement on Instagram.
“You have been an advocate for Maori, for fairness, justice and prosperity. You wanted children, young people, and those who have been left behind to have opportunities and hope.
“You worked tirelessly on building understanding and knowledge of our shared history and in doing so, strengthening Aotearoa. And amongst all of that, you made everyone feel welcome — including me. Rest easy now.”