Tangihanga

Abstract

This piece is about the tangihanga of my grandmother who was born in 1940 and passed away in December 2017. My grandmother practically raised me. Her influence over my life is undeniable. She sacrificed much for me and encouraged and believed in me always. My grandmother came from a different world to others in her generation. She was raised in Waiōhau, the home-base of the Patuheuheu hapū. She was a native speaker of the Tūhoe dialect and she came from a world where the spiritual and physical were seen as one. This piece speaks of the tangihanga process and emphasises the intensity of the grief we experience as Māori when someone close to us dies, but also the healing that comes from being surrounded by whānau.