Nga Wai hono i te po Paki

Nga Wai hono i te po Paki (Waikato) embodies the spirit of leadership, cultural pride, and service. A proud alumna of the University of Waikato, she holds a Master of Arts in Tikanga Māori and Te Reo Māori. Her academic journey was supported by a Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship, and her time at University was deeply shaped by her passion for Kapa Haka and Mātauranga Māori.

From a young age, Nga Wai hono i te po was immersed in the world of Kapa Haka. As Sir Edmund Hillary Scholar, Nga Wai completed a Bachelor of Arts and later a Master of Arts in Tikanga Māori and Te Reo Māori. Her time at Waikato was shaped by her passion for Kapa Haka, not only as a performer with Ngā Pou o Taniwharau, but also as a teacher and creative force. “I’ve been brought up in it — I am it,” she once said. “Kapa Haka is the embodiment of Māoritanga.”

Nga Wai hono i te po had her first taste on the stage at Te Matatini was in 2013 when she was invited to join her tutors on stage in the senior competition.

That was an amazing and rewarding feeling. From then on I tried to engage more in this world we call Kapa Haka. I learnt how to use the patu, I went to Ōpōtiki with Professor Te Kahautu Maxwell and learnt how to Haka, and how to get low. And now I am home. 

Her advice to any students wanting to take up Kapa Haka during their time at university, is to go for gold.

 Te Waiora is a great place for kaihaka who are new to university. It helps to constantly build on your skills, your wairua, your Haka. There are so many Haka idols in there, and it surprises me how many kaihaka have been through the group.

Since graduating in 2020 Nga Wai hono i te po took on several governance roles, including with the Waitangi National Trust, Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust, and the Waikato-Tainui College for Research and Development. In 2023 she was appointed to the University of Waikato Council. Her leadership bridges the worlds of academia, culture, and community.

In 2024, Nga Wai hono i te po was called to a new chapter of leadership, succeeding her father, the late Kīngi Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII, as the eighth monarch of the Kīngitanga. Her coronation at Tūrangawaewae Marae marked a historic moment for Aotearoa, as she became only the second woman to lead the movement. 

As Te Arikinui Kuīni Nga Wai hono i te po, she brings a fresh perspective to the Kīngitanga while honouring the deep legacy of her tūpuna.

Nga Wai hono i te po leads with humility, manaakitanga, and a strong belief in Kotahitanga, the unity of all iwi. Her journey, shaped in part by her time at the University of Waikato, is one of dedication, identity, and growth, and continues to inspire people across Aotearoa.