Assisted with funding from Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu and JR McKenzie Trust, we have created How To Tangi - a kaupapa with the aim to support whānau to gain understanding and confidence around tangihanga. As part of this, we have developed some resources around death, dying and tangihanga for you and your whānau to watch and read.
These resources are designed to be a starting point to grow your understanding and spark discussion, not to be a complete guide. We're also aware of the wealth of resources out there already, and have compiled a list of some for you to check out too.
We want to be clear that we aren't experts on this topic - if anything offered here doesn’t sit well or feel right for you or your whānau, it’s ok to leave those pieces. Take what works for you, change what needs changing, and leave the rest.
We would like to mihi to Brent Ruru, Huata Arahanga, and Te Ahunui Farnham for their tautoko/support in proofing our resources.
Tikanga & Kawa
Professor Tā Pou Temara differentiates between tikanga and kawa - we have found his explanations helpful and draw from them in the way we refer to tikanga and kawa throughout our resources.
Tikanga can be understood to mean general customs and practices, usually based on values and practicality. Tikanga underpins much of why we do what we do in te ao Māori/the Māori world. It is a means of keeping everybody safe, both physically and spiritually. There can be a range of actions taken which still align with tikanga.
Kawa can be understood as a particular set of tikanga which over time have become more and more set based on a location and/or group of people (eg. a marae and/or hapū). There is less room to move when observing kawa, which means proper understanding of specific kawa for different marae is really important.
We are offering perspectives on tikanga in How To Tangi, and strongly suggest that any and all of these tikanga are used as a springboard for conversation and understanding regarding the kawa of any marae you wish to connect to.
We also note that some whānau, hapū and iwi will use the terms kawa and tikanga in the opposite way to what we have described here. Again, we encourage you to make sure you are using accurate kupu/words for the people and/or place you are engaging with.
Rauemi | Resources
Planning for your own tangi/funeral
Some options and key pieces to be aware of when making a plan for after your death, tips for having kōrero with your whānau, and how to start making a plan.
What to do when someone dies
What to do immediately after, general tikanga for a tūpāpaku, legal requirements, as well as practical advice and helpful things to consider.
Tangi processes: on marae and at home
Some processes and tikanga that you may see at tangi held on the marae, as well as pre-colonial tangi processes, and things to consider for tangi held at home.
Supporting kirimate
What is the role of kirimate/bereaved whānau? What needs to be considered when running a tangihanga, helping behind the scenes, and supporting the kirimate?
Pūrākau | Narratives
Pūrākau relating to death to help us understand it's origins, inform tikanga we use around it, and give us a place to look to when dealing with it.
Rarangi Rauemi | Resource Directory
Collated resources about preparing for death, dealing with death, tangihanga or funeral processes and more.
Karakia
We offer several karakia that may be relevant and helpful for some different contexts around death and dying.
Kuputaka | Glossary
The kupu Māori/Māori words we've used throughout our resources and their definitions, gathered in one place.
Disclaimer
How To Tangi resources are intended as a starting point for further research and discussion with your whānau and community about death, dying, and tangihanga/funerals - not as a complete guide. The information in this resource is current as at April 2025 and accurate to the best of our knowledge. Reo Māori Mai assumes no responsibility or liability for actions taken based on any of our How To Tangi content or of any other sources linked in this content.
