📢 POUKAI AND ROYAL REGATTA UPDATE 📢

Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII has approved the request of all Poukai Marae in March to be cancelled or continue with a small whaanau day or online presentation to honour the kaupapa. The King has also cancelled this year's Royal Regatta, held at Turangawaewae Marae.

We have seen the daily case numbers rise to over 10,000 positive cases per day. These numbers bring significant risk to kaumaatua and vulnerable whaanau. Therefore the King's action seeks to offer safety to those who need it at this time. 

Chief of Staff and Private Secretary to King Tuheitia, Archdeacon Ngira Simmonds says the King is supportive of Poukai Marae holding online kaupapa, or significantly scaling back their celebrations to a whaanau day at home within their whaanau bubble to keep everyone safe. “The recent Maurea Poukai, held yesterday online, is a good example of how the local whaanau can honour the Poukai and maintain the tradition with safety. We must be positive and committed wholeheartedly to protecting our well-being, that’s the priority.” 

The King strongly discourages marae gatherings if they don’t have a health and safety plan in place that protects the people. “We can still connect in other ways, online, via the telephone and through Karakia,” said Simmonds. The well-being of the people is the King’s top priority at this time. 

“The King continues to encourage everyone to get the full dose of vaccinations – all three, as he and his whaanau have done. This encouragement comes from personal experience. It’s not an instruction, the King supports the right to choose – the Whare Ariki have made their choice and they share that by way of encouragement.”

For details about Poukai the best point of contact is the local Marae. However, for all of March, these events are not public so we encourage everyone to stay safe and stay home. 

“The King’s priority has always been the health, safety and well-being of the people. We can achieve that with small whaanau day gatherings and a huge social media presence.”  

Like and follow the Kiingitanga Facebook page to keep up to date with all our online kaupapa over the month of March.

“Amohia ake te ora o te iwi, ka puta ki te wheiao.”

Paimaarire.