Thousands of people are expected to make their way to Tūrangawaewae Marae in Ngāruawāhia next week as the annual Koroneihana brings together iwi, hapū, whānau and manuhiri to honour Te Arikinui Kuini Ngā wai hono i te pō and celebrate the enduring strength of the Kiingitanga.
The annual gathering remains one of the most significant events on the Māori calendar, providing an opportunity for people from across Aotearoa to come together beneath the kaupapa of kotahitanga, whakapapa and mana Māori motuhake.
At the centre of this year’s celebrations will be Te Arikinui Kuini Ngā wai hono i te pō, as the Kiingitanga continues under a new generation of leadership from its home at Tūrangawaewae.
Thousands expected at Tūrangawaewae
Koroneihana has long drawn large crowds to Ngāruawāhia, bringing together kaumātua, rangatahi, iwi leaders, politicians, community representatives and whānau.
While deeply connected to Waikato-Tainui, the kaupapa extends across tribal boundaries and has historically provided an important place for Māori to gather, debate the issues of the day and reaffirm relationships between iwi.
It is also an opportunity to celebrate te reo Māori, tikanga, whakapapa, kapa haka, whanaungatanga and Māori leadership.
The gathering carries particular significance as Te Arikinui Kuini Ngā wai hono i te pō continues to build on the legacy and kaupapa of those who have carried the Kiingitanga before her.
Kotahitanga at the heart of the kaupapa
The Kiingitanga was founded in the nineteenth century as a movement to unite Māori, protect whenua and strengthen Māori authority during a period of enormous political and social upheaval.
Those foundations continue to give Koroneihana significance well beyond ceremonial celebration.
The gathering provides a national platform for kōrero about the challenges and opportunities facing Māori, while reinforcing the relationships that connect whānau, hapū and iwi across the motu.
At a time when debates around Te Tiriti o Waitangi, whenua, wai, the environment, Māori representation, health, housing and economic development remain prominent, the kaupapa of kotahitanga is again likely to resonate strongly.
A celebration of continuity and the future
Koroneihana is also about generations.
Kaumātua carry the histories and mātauranga of those who came before, while tamariki and rangatahi experience a living expression of the Kiingitanga and the relationships connecting Māori communities across Aotearoa.
For many whānau returning to Ngāruawāhia, the gathering is as much about reconnecting with one another as it is about formal proceedings.
Next week’s celebrations will once again transform Tūrangawaewae into a meeting place for the motu — honouring the past while looking towards the future under Te Arikinui Kuini Ngā wai hono i te pō.
And at its heart remains a kaupapa that has sustained the Kiingitanga across generations: kotahi te kōhao o te ngira e kuhuna ai te miro mā, te miro pango, te miro whero — unity through the weaving together of the people.
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