King’s first visit to Parihaka Pa¯
K¯ıngi Tu¯ heitia aims to strengthen bonds and seeks a more unified Ma¯ ori voice
K¯ıngi Tu¯heitia will visit Parihaka Pa¯ for the first time this week in a bid to strengthen historical and spiritual bonds between Taranaki and the K¯ıngitanga — and forge greater political unity.
The Ma¯ori King wants to discuss the relevance today of the tradition of Ma¯ori prophets, says the tumu whakarito (chief executive) of Te Ka¯hui o Taranaki, Wharehoka Wano.
“My personal whakaaro [opinion] is it’s most certainly very relevant because the wairua aspect, the spiritual aspect of our wellbeing, is paramount,” said Wano.
“We can’t deal with political and physical things if we’re not looking after ourselves spiritually.”
Wano — who is Taranaki’s representative on K¯ıngi Tu¯ heitia’s advisory council Tekau-ma-Rua — said the King aspires to a more unified Ma¯ori political voice, particularly as a new Government takes power.
“He’s started to determine just how [iwi] can be a little bit more collective in our approach.”
Wano said Ma¯ori will always have responsibilities back to marae, hapu¯ and iwi.
“But there’re also times we come together regionally as Taranaki maunga and then as nga¯ iwi o Taranaki
[nationally] . . . the K¯ıngitanga has aspirations around that.”
K¯ıngi Tu¯heitia will be accompanied on Saturday, November 18 by the K¯ıngitanga tumuaki Hone Tamihana and by a delegation from Waikato iwi Nga¯ti Haua¯.
Given the discussion about prophet traditions, the new tumuaki of Ra¯tana Church Manuao Te Kohamutunga Tamou will also be at Parihaka.
Wano said Ra¯tana links with iwi from Taranaki had been reinforced in recent years as they attended together the annual K¯ıngitanga Koroneihana (coronation) celebrations.
Parihaka Pa¯ was established by the prophets Te Whiti o Rongomai and Tohu Ka¯kahi and became famous for its non-violent campaign against Crown land confiscation.
Wano said links between the K¯ıngitanga and Taranaki prophets began even before that, with the second King Ta¯whiao — himself credited with prophetic vision — being named by Te Ua Haume¯ne, who founded the Pai Ma¯rire faith.
“We’re speaking directly to that poropititanga ko¯rero [prophetic narrative] right back to Ta¯whiao’s time.
“It’s a kaupapa around our poropiti [prophets]) because that was really the initial connection between Te Whiti and Tohu and Ta¯whiao, and indeed Po¯tatau te Wherowhero, our first Ma¯ori King.
“That spiritual poropititanga was important for our wellbeing and our state of our health as we went through the brutalities of war and then having our whenua taken.
“And of course Waikato experienced a very similar situation, so the K¯ıngitanga was really about bringing us together as iwi.”
K¯ıngi Tu¯ heitia had intended to visit Parihaka in 2017 for He Puanga Haeata — the Parihaka historical reconciliation with the Crown — but he was too unwell to attend.
“He’s come back . . . he’s keen on having these conversations and determining what our future is going to look like.”