King Movement
| Te Arikinui of The Kīngitanga | |
|---|---|
| Incumbent | |
 |
|
| Tuheitia Paki | |
| Details | |
| Style | His Majesty |
| Heir apparent | None, elective. |
| First monarch | Pōtatau Te Wherowhero |
| Formation | 1858 |
The Māori King Movement or Kīngitanga is a movement that arose among some of the Māori tribes of New Zealand in the central North Island in the 1850s, to establish a role similar in status to that of the monarch of the British colonists, as a way of halting the alienation of Māori land. The Māori monarch operates in a non-constitutional capacity with no legal, or judicial power within the New Zealand government. Reigning monarchs retain the position of paramount chief of several tribes and wield some power over these, especially within Tainui where the monarchy is almost exclusively associated.
The current Māori monarch, Tuheitia Paki, was elected in 2006 and his official residence is Tūrongo House at Tūrangawaewae marae in the town of Ngaruawahia. Tuheitia is the seventh monarch since the position was created and is the continuation of a dynasty that reaches back to the inaugural king, Pōtatau Te Wherowhero.
The use of the title of "Māori King" has been challenged by various Māori leaders, namely by those of the north. In his discourse, David Rankin, a leader of the Ngāpuhi iwi of Northland, explains that the monarch is not the king of all Māori. The argument states that by the kīngitanga claiming ownership of such a title, the rangatiratanga and mana of iwi not associated (or strongly associated) with the movement is thereby diminished, infringing therefore upon their identity and autonomy as Māori and Iwi.
The movement arose among a group of central North Island iwi in the 1850s as a means of attaining Māori unity to halt the alienation of land at a time of rapid population growth by European colonists. The movement sought to establish a monarch who could claim status similar to that of Queen Victoria and thus allow Māori to deal with Pākehā (Europeans) on equal footing. It took on the appearance of an alternative government with its own flag, newspaper, councillors, magistrates and law enforcement. But it was viewed by the colonial government as a challenge to the supremacy of the British monarchy, leading in turn to the 1863 invasion of Waikato, which was partly motivated by a drive to neutralise the Kīngitanga's power and influence. Following their defeat at Ōrākau in 1864, Kīngitanga forces withdrew into dense forest in an area of the North Island that became known as the King Country.
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