Catalya Remana Tangimetua-Pepene died at her Kaikohe home last Wednesday. Photo: Supplied
A hīkoi is taking place in Kaikohe this morning to honour the life of three-year-old Northland girl Catalya Remana Tangimetua-Pepene
The toddler, known to close family as Remana, was farewelled last week at Te Paea Marae, just north of Whangārei, and buried at St James Church cemetery in Ngāraratunua last week.
Neighbours told RNZ they were heartbroken to lose a child whose smile was so bright it "lit up the whole world".
Emergency services were called to a home on Tawanui Road, in Kaikohe, about 6.15pm last Wednesday, where they found the girl unresponsive.
Police said she could not be saved, despite medical treatment at the scene.
A 45-year-old man, who has been granted interim name suppression, is charged with assaulting a child sometime between 1 and 30 April, and with murdering the same child on 21 May.
He is due to appear in the High Court at Whangārei on 11 June.
Now, Te Rūnanga-Ā-Iwi O Ngāpuhi has posted on social media, signed off by chairman Mane Tahere: "The hīkoi has been called by local hapū Te Matarahurahu supported by Ngāpuhi Group to honour the life of Catalya, a three-year-old mokopuna whose passing has deeply affected our community."
It would start at Len's Pies on Broadway at 10am on Monday, and finish at the green at the centre of town.
There would be karakia, karanga, takutaku and waiata, led by the hapū, and people were encouraged to wear bright, colourful clothing.
"This tragedy has deeply shaken us all," the post reads. "The pain is still raw, not just because we have lost a precious life, but because this is not an isolated incident. We also remember our whānau who were most recently taken in Horeke and Pakotai but also the many others this year. Our aroha extends to all the families affected by these traumatic events."
"We recognise that vulnerability exists on all sides of these tragedies, in the lives of those harmed, and those who have harmed. As whānau, hapū and a broader iwi, we must find a way forward that upholds both justice and healing."
