A Māori-owned business is part of a growing trend that uses QR codes on memorial plaques – a modern way to remember loved ones. While some embrace the use of digital technology at urupā, others remain wary of this new era.

“We make digital memorial plaques - it’s basically a keepsake you put on the gravestone,” says Mani Wyatt, founder of Neverfg.

“Once someone scans that QR code, it takes them to the memories of the person who’s passed away.”

The Huntly-based pakihi was inspired by Wyatt’s personal loss.

“My mum passed away when I was quite young. We don’t really have any videos of her, just a few photos. I think any way you can remember someone, it helps.”

“I thought, how cool would it be if we had these in cemeteries and urupā? Just change the dynamic of the way we interact with them.”

The plaques are made from stainless steel and other durable materials and include laser‑engraved QR codes that link to digital profiles containing photos, videos, messages, and whakapapa.

“I’ve been going back to my marae since I was a kid, and I know about four people in there. I think this will change that – help us understand where we come from and who we are.”

“It becomes like a digital logbook,” Wyatt says.

“Next time you come back, you can see who’s been there before you. ‘Oh, the cuzzy was here.’”

Wyatt says only those with the QR code can access the content and notes that while the platform is hosted on a third party, he operates the system independently.

“It’s not open‑source. No one can search it or run ads. Only whānau who have the link can access it.”

He says the plaques are subscription‑based, range from $150 to $200 and are expected to last 50–100 years outdoors, though that is a conservative estimate.

Kua tipu te māharahara mō ngā hangarau matihiko

Karina Edmonds, owner of Kōhatu Memorials in Ohaeawai, says she hasn’t seen much demand for QR codes among her clients.

“Some whānau are sensitive to sharing too much. They like just a photo – the memory of that member and what they last looked like when they died,” she explains.

“We actually leave it up to that whānau themselves to decide. It depends on the urupā and, of course, the kawa.”

Tikanga in urupā varies between iwi and hapū. For some whānau, photos and digital recording in burial grounds are acceptable. For others, they’re not. Some feel comfortable with technology in wāhi tapu, while others see mixing devices and sacred spaces as inappropriate or spiritually unsafe.

Edmonds notes how Māori traditions have already adapted over time.

“For our people, especially Ngāpuhi, where someone died is where they were buried. We didn’t traditionally have headstones – that was brought in through colonisation.”

While she doesn’t necessarily oppose digital memorial plaques, Edmonds raises concerns about the long-term viability of QR technology and the safety of sensitive information.

“That sticker can be damaged, it can be faded, water can get into it.”

“Even the QR code itself isn’t secure – it depends on who’s hosting the website and today [and] that’s normally third parties.”

She also stresses data sovereignty, saying whānau should have the ultimate mana to control and access their material.

Still, questions remain about how the plaques will function in the future, especially if QR formats change.

He rauemi matihiko, he pātaka kōrero

Rhonda Tibble has seen her iwi, Ngāti Porou, adopt digital approaches during tangihanga, including livestreaming, and says this kind of innovation can serve as a modern-day pātaka kōrero.

“Kua omaoma kē tēnei hōiho, ehara i te mea hou. Ki ētahi, he porokawa. Ki ētahi, inā te aureka,”

“He taonga whakanui tēnei, he taonga whakaara.”

She says that while technology has its flaws, it will only improve with experience.

“Ehara i te mea kei te kī au kāre he tūraru i ēnei āhuatanga, engari e ai ki ngā mātauranga i hoatu nā e aku tīpuna, [mā] te mahi e ngāwari ai te kite atu kei hea ngā tūraruraru.”