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National

Heartwarming haka for locked down whānau who'll miss their father's tangihanga

The devastating reality of Covid-19 lockdowns on Tangihanga has been laid bare in a raw but heartwarming video posted on Facebook by Whānau Ora provider Te Whānau O Waipareira.

The video features a haka performed by the essential workers of the trust’s West Auckland Covid-19 testing team, for a whānau whose pāpā lost his life amidst the Covid-19 lockdown.

The Naera family's father is to be buried in Tai Tokerau, but level 4 means the Tāmaki -ased family members can only follow their dad’s hearse as far north as the Tāmaki border with Northland.

Video: Te Whānau O Waipareira

The trust says kaimahi wanted to ensure the 10 car convoy of whānau had an appropriate send-off for their pāpā.

“Kei te riro tītapu e takahi nei I tō ara whakamutunga ki ō whenua taurikura. Nei rā mātou e tautoko nei kia haumaru tō koutou hokinga atu ki te Tai Tokerau, kia takoto tiraha koe ki waenga I ō tūpuna. Haere mai, haere koe ki te wāhi ngaro okioki ai.🌿” the post said.

“Our deepest aroha and thoughts with the Naera whānau”  ❤️❤️Protecting our whakapapa ❤️❤️”

The trust says Whānau from the north were standing by at Te Hana to take their dad's Tūpāpaku, to his final resting place in the far north.