Whakatiwai Urupa - Whakatiwai, North Island, New Zealand - Worldwide Cemeteries on Waymarking.com

Whakatiwi Urupa is situated across the road from the Marae at Whakatiwai. It has no name at the entrance way.

Urupa: Selection and Significance

The selection of the Urupa or cemetery is an important part of the burial process. Usually the Maori create the urupa in conjunction with the marae so that the whanau is charged with its care. Often the individual wishes to be buried in their whanau urupa. Likewise the family expresses the desire to bring the deceased “home”. However marriage can produce a connection to more than one urupa. In this instance there is usually a tono (claim). A tono is a special request made by family or marae members for the body to be buried in a particular urupa.

Most urupa are located close to the marae. It is said that in these places of natural beauty (tapu places), Mother Earth (Papatuanuku) watches over the bodies of the Maori. As in Western culture, the urupa contains some form of family plot, that is, families are usually buried in the same row. This conveys the meaning that as the family was together in life, so too will they be together in death. Interestingly, it is common for a person to visit the urupa if her or she has been absent for a long time and is only now returning home. The purpose of the visit is to remember one’s personal whakapapa (genealogy).

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City, Town, or Parish / State / Country: Not listed Approximate number of graves: Not listed Cemetery Status: Not listed Cemetery Website: Not listed

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