Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po has welcomed Ariki from across the Pacific to Turangawaewae for the first anniversary of her koroneihana as Maaori Queen.
Representatives from the Royal houses from the Kingdom of Tonga, Cook Islands, Tahiti, Hawaii and Fiji alongside members of the wider Pasifika community of Aotearoa New Zealand were greeted onto Turangawaewae Marae in Ngaruawahia.
Kiingitanga spokesman Rahui Papa said the leaders pledged their ongoing support of the Kiingitanga movement and its newest head Te Arikinui Nga wai hono i te po.
“The aroha and shared whakapapa of te Iwi Maaori and Te Moana nui-aa-Kiwa was evident in the whaikoorero of the speakers. They reflected on our common heritage, culture, kinship and shared vision for the future.”
The Pacific leaders also paid tribute to Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherewhero VII and his legacy of Kotahitanga and Mana Motuhake.
“These ideals are strongly rooted in the Pacific and are needed now more than ever.”
Mr Papa said Te Arikinui has expressed a desire to learn Pacific languages and for all indigenous cultures to speak their native tongue, which is the lifeblood of any culture.
She also supported the role of Traditional Pacific Leaders who first met in Hawai’i last year to discuss climate change and environmental protection as well as economic independence.
“Like her fellow Ariki, Te Arikinui believes in the power of indigenous knowledge to help solve some of the world’s most urgent problems.
“Though collective action, we can harness the wisdom of our ancestors for the prosperity and wellbeing of all our peoples.”
