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Today in History
23 May
1966 Coronation of first Maori Queen
Princess Piki, the daughter of King Koroki, was chosen to become the first Maori Queen during her father's funeral, in accordance with Kingitanga protocol. She assumed her mother's name, Te Atairangikaahu.
She became the sixth Maori monarch and is to date the longest serving. She died in August 2006, shortly after celebrating her 40th jubilee as Queen.
The first Maori King, Potatau Te Wherowhero, was appointed in 1858, when tribes from all over the country discussed the notion of appointing a monarch. Rapid European population growth was putting pressure on Maori to sell land, and there was a sense that Maori were losing control of their own affairs. In the Waikato War of the 1860s the government attempted to destroy the movement, considering that it was a threat to the authority of the British Crown.
The Maori King movement survived the wars of the 19th century and remains an important and enduring expression of Maori unity. Today it holds an established place in New Zealand society − as demonstrated by the widespread outpouring of grief when Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu passed away in 2006.
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