SYDNEY — New Zealand’s Maori crowned a new monarch on Thursday, selecting 27-year-old Nga Wai Hono i te Po Paki to succeed her late father as unifying leader of the country’s Indigenous people, a decision celebrated as the dawning of a new era for Maori.

       Her ascension to the throne — following a week of emotional funeral proceedings for King Tuheitia, who died last week after 18 years in the largely ceremonial role — comes at a time of growing tension between Maori and the country’s conservative government, which is rapidly rolling back “race-based” policies designed to address systemic inequality in New Zealand.