Polynesian Funerals

Mitacare Group 3FM



	*“Helping People In A Time Of Need”*

Tangihanga - What Is It? For the Maori of Aotearoa (New Zealand) Tangihanga - is an integral part of the grieving process. It usually lasts three days and is held on the marae or at the person's home or family home. It is the Maori process of mourning. Fundamental to this mourning process is the support for the whanau pani (bereaved family). That is, those that have been left behind and have to deal with the loss of someone they love.


	People gather to spend time with the whanau pani, to grieve with them and to support them in their time of sorrow. A tangihanga is a chance to re-affirm whanau (family) ties, to meet again with long lost relations, to meet relations that you may never have seen and a chance for the children of the whanau to meet their aunts, uncles and cousins.

A tangihanga is not just about grieving, but about saying goodbye. It is about having one last time with the person, to talk to them, to laugh with them (have you ever heard the hard case stories that can come out at a tangihanga about the person?) and to cry for them.

A tangihanga is also about talking to others about the person. The general korero (talk) often revolves around the person. Some people find it hard to talk about their feelings concerning their loss to those that are as close to the person as they are, feeling that the other person is going through the same thing, and they do not want to impose themselves on anyone. However, at a tangihanga there are plenty of people their to share your grief. This is all part of the support at a tangihanga. It is a way of celebrating their life with them and their whanau and to enjoy those precious moments and memories with them before they join their tupuna in the world of spirits on the otherside of the veil.

Some areas have a Po Whakangakau, or Po Whakamutunga which is the final night. On this night, people perform, sing, tell jokes and generally have a good night of laughter. It is to cheer-up the whanau pani, knowing that the next day will be the hardest.

The tupapaku (body) is never left alone at all during the whole tangihanga. This is so the person has company for their final days on earth, and so that they know they will never be forgotten.


	The Cook Islands, Nuie, Tahiti, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji (Pacifika) are similar in nature, that is, the grieving and mourning process can be somewhat strained because the time to say good bye is very short. In many cases where the death ocurrs in the evening or early morning, the mate (body) will more likely be buried in the morning or afternoon of the next day.



			Funeral mortuary facilities are not readily available in the Islands which necessitates a quicker farewell of the mate (body), loved one. Burial places are generally in the front yard of the family home or the Church yard whichever the family choose in consultation with the family and the Orometua (minister).


	Polynesian People are a very spiritual and religious people. There faith in God is absolute and their belief that death is only a temporary period of sleep and they will see their loved ones again on the day of resurrection is strong and firm. Understanding their cultural rites of passage, sensitivity and customs helps Mitacare Funeral Services meet their specific needs.

MITACARE FUNERAL SERVICES provide repatriation services to the Islands of Polynesia:

These include: New Zealand, Rarotonga, Tahiti, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Hawaii, Nuie...

for 24 Hour Service

Phone: 02 8814 4100

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