Tell Parliament your views on whānau access to and management of tūpāpaku
He tono tēnei a Te Komiti Whiriwhiri Take Māori o Te Pāremata ki te whānau, kia hōmai i tētahi wāhi o ō rātou whakaaro
mō te whai putanga ki te tūpāpaku me te whakahaerenga. Kua whakatuwheratia e te komiti he pakirehua mō te kaupapa, ā, ka
noho tuwhera ngā tāpaetanga mō te wā, ā, tae noa ki te 29 o Pipiri tau 2016.
E urupare ana te komiti ki ngā māharahara i whakaarahia ake e te huhua o ngā whanau mō te whai putanga ki te tūpāpaku me
te whakahaerenga o tō rātou mema whānau kua mate. E rika ana ngā mema komiti ki te rongo ki ngā wheako whaiaro o tēnā me
tēnā, otirā, o te whānuitanga o ngā tāngata o Aotearoa, ā, i kō atu i tēnā ki te rongo ki ngā tirohanga o te hunga
mātanga i roto i tēnei takiwā mahi. Ko te wawata o te komiti kia hua mai i te pakirehua he ahurea pai ake, e mārama ana,
e waia ana ki te whānau ka mate ana he mema whānau.
Ko tā Te Heamana o Te Komiti Whiriwhiri Take Māori, a Tūtehounuku Kōrako i kī, “Ko te wawata o te komiti kia hōmai e te
whānau he wāhi o ō rātou kōrero, hei whakaaroaro mā mātou, i runga anō i tētahi tirohanga kia tūtohungia he
whakarekētanga huapai me te mōhio anō, he mea uaua tēnei i te nuinga o te wā ki ētahi”.
Ko tērā ka pātaitia kia uruparetia e ngā tāpaetanga, ko ngā take i whakaarahia ake e ngā tikanga mahi o te pakirehua:
Ka pēnei Te Komiti Whiriwhiri Take Māori i tana pakirehua i te take mō te whai putanga o te whānau ki te tūpāpaku me te
whakahaerenga, ka:
• Whakatewhatewhatia ngā mana me te tikanga mahi i te wā nei o te hunga tirotiro mate, tirotiro mate whawhati, o te
hunga pirihimana, o te hunga whakahaere ūhunga me ērā atu pokapū e pā ana ki te whakaae, ki te kore whakaae rānei kia
kite te whānau i te tūpāpaku, ā, tērā rānei kia noho i tōna taha.
• Whakatewhatewhatia ngā mana me te tikanga mahi e pā ana o te hunga tirotiro mate, tirotiro mate whawhati, o te hunga
pirihimana, o te hunga whakahere ūhunga, ā, me ētahi atu pokapū e pā ana, ki te tuku tūpāpaku ki roto i te mana pupuri o
te whānau, ā, me pēhea ēnei e whakapai atu kia pai kē atu ai te wā tuku.
• Whakatewhatewhātia ngā rauemi me ngā kaimahi kei te wātea ki ngā pokapū me ngā ratonga e pā ana tae atu: ki ngā
aratohu ahurea, te tūranga o te āpiha kaitakawaenga Iwi o ngā Pirihimana, ā, me te māmā o te wātea atu o te hunga
tirotiro mate, tirotiro mate whawhati.
• Whakatewhatewhatia te tikanga Māori me ngā ritenga ā-ture e pā ana ki te tiaki me te whakahaere o te tūpāpaku me ngā
tikanga nehu tae atu, ki ngā tikanga tāpuke me ngā tikanga tahu, ā, āhea tēnei tūpono ai.
• Whakatewhatewhatia ngā aratohu me ngā tikanga mahi me pēhēa te whakawhitiwhiti whakaaro, te whakawhitiwhiti kōrero a
ngā pokapū e pā ana ki te whānau i ngā wāhanga katoa o te hātepe, ā, me pēhea tēnei e pai atu ai kia tūturu te mōhio o
te whānau ki ō rātou tika, ā, me tā rātou whiwhi i te katoa me te hou rawa atu o te mōhiohio mō te hātepe e pā ana.
• Whakatewhatewhatia ngā wheako o te whānau mō te whakahoki tūpāpaku mai ki Aotearoa o tētahi mema whānau kua mate rā i
tāwāhi, otirā, mai i Ahitereiria, ā, me ētahi take i kō atu e pā ana ki ngā tikanga mahi tirotiro mate whawhati, ā, me
te momo waka kawe tūpāpaku.
• Ko tō matou koronga, kia whakatakotoria he pūrongo e pā ana ki tētahi kaupapa here, e pā ana ki ngā whakarerekētanga
ā-hanganga ture, ā-ture ārahi rānei i ara ake i te pakirehua nei.
Tukua ā-tuihonotia ki: http://bit.ly/1RFKZPC mā te ekenga noa o te wā ki waenganui pō hei Te Rāapa 29 o Pipiri
Whānau are asked to share their views on access to and management of tūpāpaku with Parliament’s Maori Affairs Committee.
The committee has opened an inquiry on the subject and submissions are open until 29 June 2016.
The committee is responding to concerns raised by many whānau regarding access to and management of the tūpāpaku of
their deceased whānau members. Committee members are keen to hear the personal experiences of a wide range of New
Zealanders, as well as input from experts in this area. They hope that the inquiry could result in an improved familial
and cultural experience for whānau when a whānau member dies.
Chair of the Māori Affairs Committee, Tutehounuku Korako, said “The committee hopes that whānau will share their stories
with the committee, and we will these into consideration with a view to recommending positive changes for what is often
a difficult experience.”
Submissions are asked to respond to the issues raised by the inquiry’s terms of reference:
To inquire into the issue of whānau access to and management of tūpāpaku, the Māori Affairs Committee will:
• Investigate the current powers and practice of pathologists, coroners, police and funeral directors and other relevant
agencies in allowing, or not, whānau to view and/or remain with tūpāpaku.
• Investigate the relevant powers and practice of pathologists, coroners, police and funeral directors and other
relevant agencies to release tūpāpaku into whānau custody, and how these can be improved to allow more timely release.
• Investigate what resources and personnel are available to relevant agencies and services, including; cultural
guidelines, the role of Police iwi liaison officers and the practical availability of pathologists and coroners.
• Investigate the relevant tikanga Māori and legal requirements in relation to the preservation and management of
tūpāpaku and funeral practices, including burial and cremation practices and where this can happen.
• Investigate guidelines and practices of how relevant agencies communicate with whānau at all stages, and how this can
be improved to ensure whānau know their rights and have up to date and full information about the relevant processes.
• Investigate the experiences of whānau in having tūpāpaku returned to Aotearoa where a whānau member has died overseas,
particularly Australia, as well as other matters relating to coronial practices and the transportation of tūpāpaku.
• We intend to report on any policy, legislative or regulatory changes that arise from this inquiry.
Submit online at: http://bit.ly/1RFKZPC until midnight Wednesday 29 June.
ends