Stacey Morrison: Broadcaster on Ngā Wai hono i te pō being appointed the new Māori Queen

Kīngi Tuheitia's youngest child has ascended the throne to become the new Māori Queen.

27-year-old Ngā Wai hono i te pō has been anointed, and her father laid to rest alongside his ancestors on Maungataupiri.

Broadcaster Stacey Morrison says the young Queen is well-known.

She says she stands out when she performs kapa haka.

"That's when she is really firing and you go - wow, this is someone who has very strong will and character. I see in her a quiet and humble strength." 

Tamaki Makaurau's Sky Tower is turning off all except aircraft warning lights tonight, to mark Tuheitia's burial.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good afternoon. The late Mary King's daughter has been chosen
to succeed her father as queen. Now why Jun is
the youngest child of King y to Haitia and she
is now the eighth Mary monarch since the establishment of
the king y Donga in the nineteenth century. Now Stacey
Morrison has been at the ceremony today, is with us.

Speaker 2 (00:15):
Heyes, Stacy, Teldra, how are you?

Speaker 1 (00:18):
I'm very well thank you. Know she's very young, isn't she.

Speaker 3 (00:21):
She is, she's twenty seven years old. But she's been
groomed for this position her whole life. And we had
an into the coverage that we did today from tudong
Awawai and mud I that reminded us that she was
nine at the time that her father, King You tu
Hatia became king and so this is very much her
whole existence as the family got used to Kingi tu

(00:44):
Hatia being in that role. And so although she is
the youngest, in recent years especially she's been the one
who's been quite prominent and quite well known and well
seen in all of the big Hui.

Speaker 1 (00:58):
Tertiary educated right, she's got degree from Waikato University. Apparently
quite passionate about Kapa Haka. Do we have any idea
anything more about her that we know that we can
kind of guess where she's going to take this.

Speaker 3 (01:10):
One thing I'd say about her Kappa Haka is she's
quite exceptional. She really stands out, and I guess that's
when we see the potential of this queen. Actually, I
think that that's when she is really firing, and you go, Wow,
this is someone who's got a very strong will and character.
So I think, you know, at twenty seven years old,

(01:30):
we can all say we know ourselves to an extent,
but there's more potential And so I see in her
a quiet and humble strength. So now her job is
to gather the people around her that she feels will
be best to guide her. I believe that there may
be some who continue on from her father's council, and

(01:53):
then she can.

Speaker 2 (01:54):
Sort of set apart. But it's a lot. Remembering that
it was only.

Speaker 3 (01:57):
A week ago that Knni t Hat died unexpectedly at
sixty nine years old, you're too right.

Speaker 1 (02:03):
Was she a popular choice? Was there anyone else who
was caught up as a potential contender?

Speaker 3 (02:09):
I believe there were other potential contenders, and if you
think about the fact she's one of three, she's the
youngest and the other two boys. I do believe there
were other people who were considered.

Speaker 1 (02:19):
What your days, you give us some names.

Speaker 2 (02:23):
I don't, actually I am happy to say I don't.

Speaker 3 (02:26):
Know exactly, but I heard and I no, that was
not a name that I heard, But I did hear well.
I tell you what I really heard was the rapturous
applause when Queenwejnuid de Poor entered two dung Awawai today
and it actually took everyone by surprise because that didn't

(02:50):
actually happen for her father. And someone described to me
that it felt like a collective holding of breath.

Speaker 2 (02:56):
And then she came through the wild War and she was.

Speaker 3 (02:59):
Announced as the next monarch, and people just burst into applause,
and apart from all the kuttnger that were flowing and
all of the haker, it was an incredible moment.

Speaker 2 (03:10):
It brought me to tears. A lot of us were just.

Speaker 3 (03:14):
So in the moment that we couldn't quite describe at
the time how emotional it felt. But it was definitely
part of her losing her father so young, being twenty seven,
who's are and yet quite hopeful in terms of, like
you say, she's a well educated woman who's ready for
this position even though she.

Speaker 2 (03:34):
Has these young years. So it was quite an exceptional day.

Speaker 3 (03:37):
That's a moment that people who have been to say
that Theyda Yka who's tongue, he said, I don't know
they've ever experienced something like what we saw today when
Nile Way Honnoid they bought or you can call it
in our way. For sure, I believe was anointed and
named as the next monarch whilst.

Speaker 1 (03:55):
The king Ethan Stacy, thank you, I really appreciate your time.
That Stacey Morrison, who's covering the King's Martiking's Tongue Hanna Today.

Speaker 2 (04:01):
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