Jay Rerekura: Tangihanga are the ultimate place of learning

Tangihanga are where the passing down of customs, values, and stories from one generation to the next occurs, Jay Rerekura writes.

OPINION

Lately, it feels to me like we’ve experienced an influx of tangihanga … wait, hold up …

tangihanga 1. (noun) weeping, crying, funeral, rites for the dead, obsequies - one of the most important institutions in Māori society, with strong cultural imperatives and protocols.

Most tangihanga are held on marae. The body is brought on to the marae by the whānau of the deceased and lies in state in an open coffin for about three days in a wharemate.

During that time, groups of visitors come on to the marae to farewell the deceased with speech making and song. Greenery is the traditional symbol of death, so the women and chief mourners often wear pare kawakawa on their heads. On the night before the burial visitors and locals gather to have a pō mihimihi to celebrate the person’s life with informal speeches and song.

In modern times, on the final day the coffin is closed and a church service is held before the body is taken to the cemetery for burial. A takahi whare ritual is held at the deceased’s home and a hākari concludes the tangihanga.

So yeah, traditional Māori funeral ceremonies have been aplenty in and around Whanganui. I mean, one tangihanga can feel overwhelming. But we have had multiple … and in, what feels like, quick succession.

If you ask me, and I know you didn’t, tangihanga is the ultimate call to action. I mean that in both the literal and figurative sense. In the way I have been brought up, when a loved one breathes their last breath, this is the first karanga or call to our people to come home and assume the various roles required to honour the life of this loved one.

From the back of the kitchen all the way out to the front of the whare, there are roles and responsibilities that are required to be filled. And while I understand the sadness, grief and loss associated with tangihanga, in what some may call a morbid point of view, I love tangihanga. The whole thing is a great opportunity for whānau (extended family) to reconnect, to reminisce, to reflect on their shared memories.

One of the remarkable aspects of tangihanga is their ability to bring together whānau members who may not commonly have the opportunity to gather. That karanga that pulls us back home is hard not to hear. In this day and age, we see more and more that sometimes it is not easy for us to heed the call like we used to but, for the most part, we come together.

From the back to the front of the marae, we reminisce on our memories of the character that brought us together. We rekindle all the many connections, whether through whakapapa (genealogy) or extracurricular activities. It really is a catalyst for re-establishing connections and rekindling relationships within the extended family and friends circles. Sometimes we get to settle old raru (troubles) … and sometimes we don’t.

Tangihanga, for me, are the ultimate wānanga – a place of learning – where the tamariki (children), rangatahi (young people), pāhake (adults) and kaumātua (elders) get to come together to celebrate the life of the departed.

It’s where this innate process of cultural knowledge transmission, allowing the passing down of customs, values and stories from one generation to the next occurs. Traditional practices, such as karakia (prayers) and waiata (songs), are taught and performed, ensuring the preservation of cultural identity for future generations. By actively participating in these rituals, individuals develop a stronger sense of belonging within their whānau and wider community.

Some of us come away from these gatherings with a renewed energy for things we may have neglected.

A mihi to those who have passed recently: E ngā parekawakawa kua wehe at ki te po. Haere atu koutou ki o awaawa, haere atu koutou ki o keo tapu. No reira, e ngā mate huhua o te wā, oki atu rā ki te huinga o te Kahurangi. E moe, kāti.