Gerrard Te Rangimaheu Te Heuheu Tūkino IX, son of the late Ariki of Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Tā Tumu Te Heuheu Tūkino VIII, has been named as his father’s successor following the burial of the ariki on Monday.
The 56-year-old was widely expected to take over the role, a fact confirmed on the final day of Tā Tumu’s tangihanga at Waihī Marae in Tūrangi.
Like his father, Te Rangimaheu is a trained pilot and a former employee of Air New Zealand. He attended St. Patrick’s Silverstream in Upper Hutt. He has a sister named Kimai and is married to Lisa. They have one son, Te Ahi Pumamao.
Te Ao Māori has been in mourning following the passing of Tā Tumu after an extended period of illness. Thousands of people from around the motu gathered in the small community near Tūrangi to pay their respects to Tā Tumu.
His leadership was recognised not only within Tūwharetoa, but across Aotearoa and internationally, particularly in the fields of environmental stewardship and indigenous advocacy.
His presence on the global stage, including at the United Nations, cemented his reputation as a rangatira who carried the mana of his people with dignity.
The succession of Te Rangimaheu signals a continuation of that legacy, with expectations that he will maintain the values and responsibilities handed down through generations of Te Heuheu ariki.
Te Rangimaheu becomes the ninth ariki in the Te Heuheu Tūkino dynasty, a chiefly line that began in the early 1800s with Herea Te Heuheu Tūkino I as paramount chief of Ngāti Tūwharetoa. It is regarded as the longest continuously held ariki line in Te Ao Māori.
Te rārangi Ariki o Ngāti Tūwharetoa:
- Herea Te Heuheu Tūkino I (d. 1820) - the first to carry the name “Te Heuheu” as ariki.
- Mananui Te Heuheu Tūkino II (d. 1846) - famed chiefly leader, died in the Te Rapa landslide.
- Iwikau Te Heuheu Tūkino III (d. 1862) - succeeded his brother Mananui.
- Horonuku Te Heuheu Tūkino IV (1821–1888) - gifted the peaks of Tongariro, Ngāuruhoe, and Ruapehu to the Crown, forming the foundation of Tongariro National Park.
- Tureiti Te Heuheu Tūkino V (1865–1921).
- Hoani Te Heuheu Tūkino VI (1897–1944).
- Sir Hepi Te Heuheu Tūkino VII (1919–1997) – knighted, a significant leader in Crown–Māori relations.
- Tā Tumu Te Heuheu Tūkino VIII (1942–2025) – noted for environmental leadership and work with UNESCO and the UN.
- Te Rangimaheu Te Heuheu Tūkino IX (1969– ) – the newly installed ariki.
