Tangihanga and tikanga in the time of COVID-19: Māori experiences and responses

Abstract

During the early period of the COVID-19 pandemic in Aotearoa New Zealand, the national government implemented an alert level framework to delay or limit the virus’s spread throughout the population. Each level of this system imposed different restrictions, including limiting movement between regions, the size of gatherings and contact between households. As part of a larger study on the impact of this framework on Māori communities, this article presents findings from interviews with tangata whenua (Indigenous Māori) analysing the impacts of the government’s response on tangihanga (funerals), tikanga (customs) and hauora (health) in Māori experiences of death during the first two years of the pandemic.
Experiences shared by participants indicated that COVID-19 and the pandemic response had profound impacts on tangihanga and tikanga protocols surrounding death and dying, and these impacts were frequently associated with negative hauora outcomes. The role of kaumātua (elders) in shaping Māori responses to COVID-19 was a strong theme across interviews, with discussions highlighting the unique position of kaumātua becoming both more vulnerable in and more valuable to their communities during the pandemic. Participants reported experiences of grief, gratitude and uncertainty under the alert level framework and highlighted the changes to tikanga that arose in that period, and those that persisted after the pandemic restrictions were lifted. Responsibility for their own and their whānau’s safety, an obligation to protect their communities, and historic underpinnings shaped participants’ decisions. Overall, the pandemic restrictions in Aotearoa shaped participant experiences in a multitude of ways, and these learnings can be used to better co-create the next pandemic response.