Māpuna for Saturday 18 June 2022

What is tono tupapaku, the process of retrieving the body of a loved one?

Photo: Rereata Makiha

After the body of Tommy Murray was taken back to his home marae against his wife's wishes Mapuna takes a look at tono tupapaku. Retrieving a loved one back to their whanau at home to be buried.  Earlier this month, Tommy Murray, died suddenly aged 54. His wife, Sara Murray, took him to their house in Naenae to lie before his cremation. His ashes were to be kept in Wellington. But then some of Tommy's whānau arrived at the Wellington home saying they came with aroha and manaaki to take him home back to Whangapē to be buried. Sara said there was never a discussion about that and the whānau took her husband's body forcibly. What is the process of tono tupapaku? Rereata Makiha is a tohunga from Te Arawa and Ngapuhi.

Are some Maori 'disconnected' from their role as kaitiaki?

What is kaitiakitanga, guardianship, and how important is it in our communities? Xena Tautari is currently studying for her doctorate at Te Whare Wanganga o Awanuiarangi and says in the Hokianga, where her work is focused, there's an urgent need to understand the traditions around kaitiakitanga while those who retain the knowledge are still alive. She says one of her goals is to record the korero around kaitiakitanga and share it. 

Photo: Xena Tautari