AlterNative

The term body-snatcher has enjoyed a renaissance in the media recently, as various Māori
have moved to reclaim their deceased relations. From a Māori perspective, the claiming
of bodies has nothing to do with body-snatching, a term that referred to episodes in the
West. Indeed, Māori may see some laws themselves as instruments that snatch the body,
in contravention of Māori customs. One of these laws, the Coroners Act 2006, may have
made some progress by quietly acknowledging these customs in many ways, but that is
merely the start of a greater dialogue between Māori and the Crown in relation to proper
Māori respect of the dead body.