The farewell for Kīngi Tuheitia is steeped in cultural significance, where traditional customs and values known as tikanga guide proceedings. 1News explains what those customs are and why they’re observed.
Thousands of people have descended on Tūrangawaewae Marae to pay their respects to Kīngi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII, who died last week.
Political Editor Maiki Sherman reports on how the ceremonies for Kiingi Tuheitia are respecting centuries of culture. (Source: 1News)
The days-long event is marked by certain tikanga. Here is what some of those traditions mean.
Black clothing and the wearing of greenery
What people are wearing to Kīngi Tuheitia’s tangihanga – namely, black clothing and greenery worn around the head – has roots in both Victorian and pre-European traditions, says Kiingitanga spokesperson Rahui Papa.
“The tikanga around the black clothing is a sign of mourning,” he said. “It’s actually a Victorian tikanga that’s been adopted quite widely across the country.”
You can follow a live stream from Tūrangawaewae Marae here
The wearing of greenery is a pre-European tikanga known as pare kawakawa.
“When [people] wear pare kawakawa, it’s a clear sign of someone coming to a very solemn event,” Papa said.
“When we see these two [black clothing and pare kawakawa] together, we know that the enormity of the passing of a great leader or chief or someone that was very well-respected is at play.”
Protecting the Kīngi
The kuia (female elders) who are seen sitting near Kīngi Tuheitia at Tūrangawaewae Marae also play an important role in the tikanga around his farewell, Papa said.
“Their role is really to protect the king from the wairua occurrences, the spiritual occurrences,” he said.
“When we have a number of people … there are different and varied wairua or spiritual aspects and [the role of the kuia] is to buffer those so they don’t get close to the king or the Kiingitanga.”
Baskets for koha
Baskets can be seen at the gates to Tūrangawaewae Marae, which are for collecting koha.
Koha can be described as a gift, donation or contribution.
“In pre-European times, [the koha] was kai – people would bring various different delicacies from the various iwi,” Papa said.
The easiest and most common form of koha today is money.
But iwi have different, nuanced tikanga around presenting koha, Papa said.
“Traditionally, at Koroneihana [coronation] and at various events, we don’t stop each iwi from presenting their own whakaaro [or koha] in their own way,” he said.
The importance of sharing food
Hundreds of volunteers are helping to sustain the crowds expected through Tūrangawaewae Marae in the coming days to celebrate the life of Kīngi Tuheitia. (Source: 1News)
The process of tangihanga is a sacred one and sharing food after proceedings on the marae is an important part of taking away the tapu of the occasion.
“Kai combats tapu, so it actually brings people back from the spiritual world into the world of light,” Papa said.
Sharing that kai is no mean feat when there can be thousands of people to feed.
The famous dining hall at Tūrangawaewae, known as Kimiora, is being kept especially busy this week.
Papa said those working in the kitchens would not have been daunted by the estimated 8000 people that arrived at the marae today.
“The workers will be seeing the crowds, and they will be adapting appropriately,” he said.
