You could see them having a bit of a laugh with each other and a discussion, all those types of things women of mana do,' he laughed. 'That was just another stepping stone between the warm relationship. 'Usually those things are signed by the Governor General of the time but because Queen Elizabeth was here she actually personally signed the apology in the presence of Te Arikinui,' says Papa.

The Government reiterated it was not a personal apology from the Queen but Papa says the symbolism meant a lot to his people. Queen Elizabeth, visiting New Zealand later in the year attended the third reading where she gave the royal assent to the Waikato Raupatu Claims Settlement Act. The deed of settlement was signed by Te Arikinui Te Atairangi Kaahu at Tūrangawaewae earlier in the year. Queen Elizabeth signed the country’s first Treaty settlement, a redress for Waikato-Tainui tribes and offered a formal apology from the Crown to Māori to be used in all settlements. Queen Elizabeth signed the country's first Treaty settlement, a redress for Waikato-Tainui tribes and offered a formal apology from the Crown to Māori to be used in all settlements.Ĭhief negotiator Sir Robert Mahuta had insisted that it had to be an apology by the Queen, says Papa. The ongoing relationship between the two royal households led to another historical occasion in 1995. Queen Elizabeth visited Tūrangawaewae again in 1974. Papa claims the title was gifted directly by Queen Elizabeth.ĭuring the 70s, Te Arikinui, her husband Whatumoana and the late Hon Koro Wetere, a long-serving Labour MP were invited to attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace and to take a waka taua (war canoe) Tāhere Tikitiki to the royal regatta held on the Henley-on-Thames, says Papa. In 1970, Te Atairangikaahu became the first Māori woman to be made a Dame Commander of the British Empire for services to Māori. The Queen and Duke with Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu (the late Māori Queen) at Tūrangawaewae Marae in Ngāruawahia. Papa says since the Queen's visit in 1953, various invitations and engagements between the two royal households have developed into a warm relationship he expects will continue long after Queen Elizabeth's reign. 'That was the first time the Kiingitanga of Aotearoa and the Kiingitanga of England had met each other face-to-face,' Papa says. In 1914 King Te Rapa went to England with a delegation and was received at Buckingham Palace by King George V and Queen Mary. 'He came back a little bit disappointed,' says Papa. The Kiingitanga began with Potatau Te Wherowhero at Ngāruawahia in 1858.Īfter the New Zealand Wars and subsequent land confiscations, King Tāwhiao, the second Māori king, visited England in 1884 but could not get an audience with Queen Victoria. When he returned he worked with others to help establish a Māori monarchy to deal with the impacts of colonisation, particularly land acquisition by settlers. King Tāwhiao Te Wherowhero, the second Māori king, visited England in 1884 but could not get an audience with Queen Victoria. It was also the moment Queen Elizabeth would become known as Te Kōtuku. That was the first time the British monarchy had been on to Tūrangawaewae.' 'Queen Elizabeth and the Duke agreed and they stayed for about 15 minutes. 'Te Arikinui invited them into Mahinaarangi for a cup of tea,' says Papa. Then Kiingi Kōroki and his daughter princess Piki, who later became Te Arikinui Te Atairangikaahu, hosted Queen Elizabeth at Tūrangawaewae Marae. 'It was supposed to be a seven minute visit, they weren't even supposed to get out of the car,' says Rahui Papa, an authority of Waikato tribal history. * Queen Elizabeth II dies: What happens next in New Zealand? * UK braced for death of Queen Elizabeth II. * 'Our hearts are heavy': Pacific mourns Queen's death One of the most significant for Māori was their stop at Tūrangawaewae marae in Ngāruawahia near Hamilton, the seat of the Kiingitanga, the royal Māori household. In 1953, the year of the Queen's coronation, the 27-year-old was the first reigning monarch to ever visit Aotearoa New Zealand.ĭuring the summer months, the royal entourage including husband Prince Philip visited numerous places across the country. If the bird was sighted, Māori considered it a once in a lifetime encounter, he tohu pai, a good omen. The kōtuku is rarely seen outside its nesting area. When Queen Elizabeth visited New Zealand during 1953-54, she was compared to the kōtuku by Māori, the white heron. Te Kōtuku rerenga tahi – a once in a lifetime visit from the rare white Heron.

Tribal wars farming scripts