Māori Royalty

Aotearoa has royalty?

This is Queen Ngāhinōi Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII (the 7th).

The position of the Māori queen is a highly respected ceremonial role within the Waikato Tainui iwi, with limited powers. Nevertheless, the reigning queen can influence tribal policy based on her mana.

The Māori Queen or King represent their people overseas at times; for example, the Māori King attended the funeral of the Tongan King. They also meet with world leaders to discuss issues facing indigenous communities, such as health and education.

Traditionally Māori people did not have a single leader, this was a Western concept. Instead, Māori tribes functioned independently under the leadership of their own chiefs.

Māori society structure

Māori society is one based on hapū and iwi.

Hapū incorporate immediate family or whānau and through whakapapa combined to form iwi.

Whakapapa

Whakapapa defines both the individual and kin groups of Māori, and governs the relationships between them. Whakapapa confirms an individual's membership within the kin groups and provides the means for learning about the history of their tipuna. Māori recognise four kin groups:

Waka - Iwi - Hapū - Whānau

The treaty (signed in 1840) was supposed to secure and improve relationships between settlers and Māori, however this was not the case. Land was still being confiscated and the treaty was not respected. Not all iwi signed the treaty! What did this mean for them?

Why would Māori want a King/Queen?

By the 1850s Māori were faced with increasing numbers of British settlers, political marginalisation and growing demand from the Crown to purchase their lands. Māori were divided between those who were prepared to sell and those who were not. In amongst this was dodgy land sales and confiscation. Māori needed a way to protect their interests.

Simply put:

Māori wanted a way to take part in Pakeha politics
They wanted someone who could represent Māori who was of equal status to the Queen
They thought Māori would be a more powerful force if they united under one leader

https://teara.govt.nz/en/kingitanga-the-maori-king-movement/page-1

Kīngitanga: the Māori King movement

One of New Zealand’s most enduring political institutions, the Kīngitanga (Māori King movement) was founded in 1858 with the aim of uniting Māori under a single sovereign. Waikato is the seat of the Kīngitanga, and the early years of King Tāwhiao’s reign were dominated by the Waikato war of the 1860s (over ownership of land).

https://teara.govt.nz/en/kingitanga-the-maori-king-movement