Abstract:
The marae and the institutions of tangihanga (funereal customs) have maintained and sustained the Māori language, its attendant culture and the Māori classical literature that survives today. On these occasions the Māori world view is given full expression in an authentic setting in the 21st century. Tangihanga (or tangi) therefore play an important role in sustaining Māori identity. This article provides an annotated account of the tangi process that demonstrates the Māori world view, gives examples of specific oral literatures from the classical Māori world, and notes educational aspects of how traditional Māori knowledge and language is transmitted and acquired during the tangi process.