Tuheitia Paki

Tuheitia Paki, KStJ (born 21 April 1955) is the current Māori King in New Zealand. He is the eldest son of the previous Māori monarch, Dame Te Atairangikaahu, and was announced as her successor and crowned on the same day as her tangihanga (funeral rites) took place, on 21 August 2006. His official title has not yet been decided but it is understood it will not be Te Arikinui (the great leader / chief), his mother's title.

He was educated at Rakaumanga School in Huntly, Southwell School in Hamilton and St Stephen's College in Bombay.

On 27 November 2007, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of St John, which was upgraded to a Knight in 2010.

Family

Tuheitia Paki's father, the late Whatumoana Paki, and his mother, the late Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, married in 1952. He is married to Te Atawhai and has three children: Whatumoana, Korotangi, and Ngawai Hono I Te Po. He has five sisters and one brother: Heeni Katipa (née Paki) Tomairangi Paki, Mihi ki te ao Paki, Kiki Soloman (née Paki), Manawa Clarkson (née Paki) and lastly his younger brother Maharaia Paki.[citation needed] After Paki's assent to the throne, Te Atawhai was appointed patroness of the Māori Women's Welfare League in 2007.

In 2011 Korotangi Paki, Tuheitia's middle child and youngest son was involved in a car accident after which he was charged with boy racer charges.

Duties and background

Prior to becoming King, he was the Tainui Cultural Advisor to Te Wānanga o Aotearoa at Huntly.

He only speaks publicly once a year, at the annual celebrations in Ngaruawahia of his coronation. Since ascending to the throne official duties include:

    * attending the funeral of King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV of Tonga, September 2006

    * attending the opening of Pūkawa Marae on the shore of Lake Taupo, Aotearoa, on 17–19 November 2006.

    * attending the opening of "Mauri Ora" an exhibition of Māori artefacts from Te Papa on exhibition at the Tokyo National Museum in Tokyo, Japan on 22 January 2007.

    * attending the funeral of Malietoa Tanumafili II of Samoa, 19 May 2007

    * attending the re-opening of the marae/war memorial hall in Ngaiotonga, Whangaruru 2007

    * attending the opening of the Māori garden in Hamilton gardens, 2008.

Political issues

In March 2010, the King threatened to abdicate his title if tribal members "do not fall back into line." He made the announcement after members of the tribe's parliament, Te Kauhanganui, questioned his use of tribal funds and his choice of company directors. His office denied that he mentioned abdication. At the heart of the allegations is the spending of Paki's office which has risen to an annual $1.2 million compared to $250,000 under his mother, with much of the spending going on travel. The funds are provided by Tainui, which has assets worth more than $600 million.

In December 2010 he attempted to sack the Te Kauhanganui chairperson Tania Martin, Hiiona Marae's elected representative on Te Kauhanganui in connection with a report which she tabled detailing financial issues, however, the constitutional rules of Tainui's Parliament only allow for Te Kauhanganui itself to elect or remove its chairperson.[citation needed] As of January 2011, Mrs Martin remains the chairperson of Te Kauhanganui, having been reaffirmed by a vote.

In March 2011, issues arose over travel expenses for Te Makau Ariki Atawhai and Te Ariki Tamaroa Whatumoana, Paki's consort and son.

In June 2011, David Rankin of the Ngāpuhi iwi attacked both Paki and the Governments' use of the term Māori King to describe him, saying that not only had tribes such as Ngāpuhi never supported the kingitanga movement, but that Paki didn't even speak te reo Māori.

From : www.wikipedia.org