Author(s): Margot Schwass

Natural Health

Death is part of all our lives - the deaths of people we love, the experience of terminal illness, the grief of friends or family. Yet we tend to speak of it with difficulty. And we know little about death in other cultures - what rituals are sustaining, what might cause distress, or what is appropriate in medical procedure. Last Words is a short book about ways of acknowledging death in the different cultures and religions currently in New Zealand. While it is designed for use by people working with the dying and the bereaved, the book is also intended for general readers - the New Zealand public. The book includes sections on: different cultures and faiths; Maori perspectives; facing death; and understanding grief. Information, drawn from interviews with the different groups, is up-to-date, and based on the New Zealand context. A practical section outlines the essential points of dealing with accidents, inquests, the coroners' court, and burial. Last Words will help people deal compassionately with many aspects of death and dying.