Cloaked in life and death : korowai, kaitiaki and tangihanga

Explores the juncture between the authors' kaitiaki and their revered taonga tuku iho, in particular, the unique and rare korowai, Māori cloaks used in tangihanga, or death rituals. Considers aspects of their origins, ownership, safekeeping, their multi-faceted utilisation and the consequences of doing so, or not, as well as their eventual disposal. Reflects upon the critical involvement of kaitiaki (guardians), exemplifying how living dimensions of taonga unfold, and how relationships and responsibilities are maintained and perpetuated by uri whakatipu (descendants). Source: National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa, licensed by the Department of Internal Affairs for re-use under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 New Zealand Licence.