Maata Wharehoka, kuia of Parihaka Pā and renowned Taranaki weaver, has died aged 74 surrounded by her tamariki and mokopuna.
Born in Parihaka, Taranaki, Maata dedicated her life to reviving and preserving Māori customs in both her work as a weaver and a nurse.
Papa te whatitiri ki te rangi Te Whakarangona mai e koe te pou ki Rarotonga ka heke te kura ki Hawaiki E nui, e roa ngā...
Posted by Jean Hikaka on Thursday, February 20, 2025
In 2015 she was recognised for her contribution to weaving by Creative NZ. A blog post written for her at the time spoke of her being the kaitiaki of Parihaka Pā for over 30 years. Her commitment to her whānau and community was unwavering, and she played a pivotal role in preserving the history and teachings of Parihaka.
Maata became a leading expert in Māori death practices, advocating for the integration of euthanasia within tikanga Māori. She believed that Māori traditionally had a form of euthanasia, and her work aimed to support different ways of dying that honored Māori customs.
Kahu Whakatere
Kua arā ake tā te whānau pani whakamahi i te kahu whakatere, hei waka wairua mō ngā tūpāpaku Māori, ka mutu, he nui horapatia o ngā kahu whakatere e ngā iwi puta noa i Aotearoa.
Ko ia te pou matua o tētahi ratonga āwhina i te whānau e hiahia ana, kia kōpakitia te tūpāpāku ki tetahi kahu whakatere.
I takahia e ia te nukuroa o te whenua kia whakatū wānanga, hei ako i ngā tikanga o te tiaki tūpāpāku Māori.
Ko ngā waihotanga nui ōna, ko te tikanga kirimate, ko te aroha me te ngākau nui ki tōna hapori.
He karakia tangihanga ka tū ki Parihaka Pā a te Rātapu 23 o Pepuere, ka whakanuia te oranga o Maata me ngā tākoha e te whānau me ngā hoa.
Haere rā e kui ki te Kahu Whakatere ki raro ki te Reinga.
Ko ngā tāonga mirimiri a roimata rāua ko hupe e māringiringi iho nei, e rarau nei.
Moe mai rā e whaene.
