How Mauri can improve Mortuary management
Mortuary waste to be returned to Papatuanuku Mother Earth
Ian Ruru, who leads the Kiwa group set up to provide cultural advice and technical support to the council, said the hui marked the move away from the “culturally abhorrent” practice of sending mortuary waste out to sea.
“This goes back generations, the idea or the process of tūpāpaku (body of deceased) preparation and that the liquid materials from funeral homes go into our sewage system and then into our rivers and ocean is culturally abhorrent.
“Local tikanga handed down through the wisdom of our elders suggests that which comes from Papatuanuku should return to Papatuanuku, hence our through-earth solution,” he said.
While respecting the dignity of those who had passed on, there were also considerations for the environment, he said.
“These sensitive materials eventually find their way out into our rivers and oceans and that’s exactly where we swim, surf, and gather kai, so we’re talking about protecting the practices of mahinga kai as well.”
The hui followed the opening of consultation on the council’s draft Trade Waste Bylaw on February 3, which seeks to remove mortuary waste from the public wastewater system.
The draft bylaw prohibits the discharge of mortuary waste into the council’s reticulated wastewater system, regulates its transport, and provides for its discharge to a council-approved facility.
“It’s exciting because it addressed that problem, and we’ve got a solution that brings together hapu, iwi and the Gisborne District Council,” Ruru said.
RNZ ONLINE LINK
Ian Ruru, who leads the Kiwa group set up to provide cultural advice and technical support to the council, said the hui marked the move away from the “culturally abhorrent” practice of sending mortuary waste out to sea.
“This goes back generations, the idea or the process of tūpāpaku (body of deceased) preparation and that the liquid materials from funeral homes go into our sewage system and then into our rivers and ocean is culturally abhorrent.
“Local tikanga handed down through the wisdom of our elders suggests that which comes from Papatuanuku should return to Papatuanuku, hence our through-earth solution,” he said.
While respecting the dignity of those who had passed on, there were also considerations for the environment, he said.
“These sensitive materials eventually find their way out into our rivers and oceans and that’s exactly where we swim, surf, and gather kai, so we’re talking about protecting the practices of mahinga kai as well.”
The hui followed the opening of consultation on the council’s draft Trade Waste Bylaw on February 3, which seeks to remove mortuary waste from the public wastewater system.
The draft bylaw prohibits the discharge of mortuary waste into the council’s reticulated wastewater system, regulates its transport, and provides for its discharge to a council-approved facility.
“It’s exciting because it addressed that problem, and we’ve got a solution that brings together hapu, iwi and the Gisborne District Council,” Ruru said.
RNZ ONLINE LINK
