Wellington, Aug 30 (IANS) New Zealand’s Maori King, Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII, died on Friday at age 69, days after marking the 18th anniversary of his leadership.
According to local media reports, Tuheitia died in hospital while recovering from heart surgery, and he passed away peacefully surrounded by his family, Xinhua news agency reported.
Minister of Maori Development Tama Potaka said Tuheitia was not only a symbol of unity and resilience for Maori, but an advocate of all New Zealanders growing together.
He was dedicated to the advancement of Maori, New Zealanders, Pacific peoples and indigenous peoples worldwide, the minister said, citing Tuheitia’s contributions, particularly in bringing Maori and the government together.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will go to pay his respects on Saturday in the marae in Waikato where Tuheitia’s body has arrived. Government and public buildings have lowered their flags at half-mast.
Tuheitia’s funeral is expected to be held next Thursday, and his successor is likely to be named at the end of the funeral.
Tuheitia was the seventh monarch in the Kiingitanga, or Maori King movement, which originated in 1858 in an attempt to unite the indigenous Maori tribes to strengthen their resistance to colonialism, according to the local media.
–IANS
int/rs/as
Disclaimer
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by TodayIndia.news and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.
Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of TodayIndia.news We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, TodayIndia.news takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.
For any legal details or query please visit original source link given with news or click on Go to Source.
Our translation service aims to offer the most accurate translation possible and we rarely experience any issues with news post. However, as the translation is carried out by third part tool there is a possibility for error to cause the occasional inaccuracy. We therefore require you to accept this disclaimer before confirming any translation news with us.
If you are not willing to accept this disclaimer then we recommend reading news post in its original language.
