Academic Megan Potiki, of the University of Otago's Te Tumu, who is researching Maori death practices, said the prominence of Maori tangi (funerals) had led to some of their traditions being adopted by non-Maori.
''In cot deaths, for example, I notice there is an increased frequency of non-Maori using a type of tangi process and having a longer grieving process. I don't think they consciously think they are adopting Maori practices but it certainly looks like they are.''
University of Otago chaplain the Rev Greg Hughson said he first noticed the trend in the late 1980s, when he was working as a Methodist minister in Feilding, and then to a greater degree when he moved to Gisborne in 1993.
The attraction of Maori tangi was threefold: being able to have a loved one at home or at a church in an open casket, the unveiling of the tombstone a year after the death, and the sharing of verbal tributes for longer periods of time during the funeral service, Mr Hughson said.
The university and Dunedin Hospital also held traditional blessing ceremonies, regardless of whether the person who had died was Maori, and increasingly people were requesting blessing ceremonies in their homes.
Workplaces were also showing signs of becoming more sensitive to the loss of a loved one, Mr Hughson said.
''I think there is a greater understanding that people need significant time off work after losing a close family member or friend, rather than just time off to attend the funeral or tangi,'' he said.
Michael Hope, managing director of Dunedin funeral directors Hope and Sons, said he had witnessed a ''renaissance'' and ''acceptance'' of all things Maori over the past 25 years.
He had seen the emergence of a ''Kiwi funeral'', which not only had Maori elements but also drew on traditions from Pacific nations, Britain, the United States and China.
''In general Kiwis have increased the time between the day of death and the funeral, which is customary with Maori and Pacific Island families in New Zealand,'' he said.
''Maori and Pacific Islanders really understand and appreciate the importance of good embalming practices.''
Mrs Potiki, who is of Ngai Tahu descent, said tangi constituted one of the last bastions of her culture and she was glad Maori funeral traditions were being preserved across New Zealand.
''We have lost our native language speakers, but we still practise tangihanga and it's a very old tradition and it's the one thing we still hold on to.''
- by Eleanor Ainge Roy
