Matariki – 14 July 2023

Image: Wikimedia commons CC-by-2.5

This year we celebrate our second Matariki public holiday welcoming in the Māori New Year.

The celebration of Matariki is guided by three major principles:

• Remembrance – Honouring those we have lost since the last rising of Matariki
• Celebrating the present – Gathering together to give thanks for what we have
• Looking to the future – Looking forward to the promise of a new year

Here are nine short videos by Ara / Te Pūkenga kaiako, that explain the significance of each of the whetū Matariki.

And the other 8 stars of Matariki are Pōhutukawa; Ururangi; Waipuna-ā-rangi; Waitī; Waitā; Tupu-ā-nuku; Tupu-ā-rangi; Hiwa-i-te-rangi.

To help you remember them all you can learn the Matariki macarena and create some Matariki star bunting to put on your wall.

Find out more about Matariki in our subject guide page dedicated to this occasion.

Mānawa maiea te putanga o Matariki 

Mānawa maiea te ariki o te rangi

Mānawa maiea te mātahi o te tau

Welcome the rising of Matariki

Welcome the rising of the lord of the sky

Welcome the New Year

Matariki e ara ana – Star gazing at Waimairi Beach -Tuesday, 21 June, 6am

Join us on an adventure to Waimairi Beach as we gather to sight the Matariki cluster. We will hear about the cluster and its significance to us here in Aotearoa. Whānau are welcome to come along please register to let us know. Breakfast will be provided by our events team on return to the campus. Note subject to change due to weather, you must register and provide contact details to be notified of any cancellation.  

Location: Beachfront at Waimairi Surf Life Saving Club, 1 Beach Road, Christchurch.

Time: Meet at Ara at 6:00am outside Te Puna Wānaka corner of William St and Coventry St.

Taking your own transport? Meet at Waimairi Surf Club Car Park at 6.25am. 

Cost: Free, must register by Thursday 16 June

Ara staff and students can Register to attend here

Celebration of Matariki in 2022

Ara Library will be closed on Friday 24th June as we celebrate the first Matariki public holiday. The Library will reopen at 10am on Saturday 25th June.

This year sees the first instance of the new public holiday to celebrate Matariki after it was passed into law in 2021. Going into the future there will be a public holiday in late June or early July to recognise Matariki.

Iwi across New Zealand understand and celebrate Matariki in different ways and at different times. For most it is time to remember those who have passed and give thanks for the harvest of the previous year.

Matariki is an abbreviation of ‘Ngā Mata o te Ariki Tāwhirimātea (‘The eyes of the god Tāwhirimātea’) and refers to a large cluster of stars, known in European tradition as the Pleiades. It rises in midwinter and for many Māori, it heralds the start of a new year.

The new Matariki holiday is the first to specifically acknowledge the culture of Maori who are the indigenous people of Aotearoa-New Zealand.

From all of the staff here at the Library we wish you a safe and enjoyable day.

Manawatia a Matariki – Honouring Matariki at Ara

Mānawatia a Matariki – Honouring Matariki at Ara

On 24 June 2022 Aotearoa will observe Te Kāhui o Matariki (The Stars of Matariki).  This time is significant as it will be the first public holiday that puts Mātauranga Māori at the heart of the celebrations.

Te Hararei Tūmatanui (Public Holiday) will be the first to recognise Te Ao Māori (A Māori Worldview) calls people to gather, to celebrate, to remember and to plan for the future. It also seeks to reaffirm our connection and commitment to the environment, and to encourage positive environment activities during Matariki such as planting and cleaning waterways.

At Ara ourMatariki celebrations are set within a framework of five elements, Hono ~ Connect, Whakaaroaro ~ Reflect, Whakamana ~ Celebrate, Whakarite ~ Plan, and Whakaū ~ Act.  We encourage our community to create opportunities that foster connections to each other, to our  place in the world and to the wellbeing of both.

Te Aro ki a Matariki – Matariki Observance

The optimum time to observe the rising of Matariki is in the phase of the moon known as Tangaroa, the moon of plenty. The Tangaroa moon phase occurs in the three or four days leading to a new moon and will fall on different dates each year. This is just one marker of the Māori New Year, also known as
Te Matahi o Te Tau.

Matariki is seen late June to April.  The first day and first month of the Māori New Year is Whiro o Pipiri (Whiro is the new moon and Pipiri is the lunar month), however Matariki is not visible, it’s above the horizon
but too close to the sun, it’s not bright enough. Celebration lasts from beginning of Tangaroa to Mutuwhenua lunar phases.  Locally Ngāi Tahu acknowledge Puanga (Rigel) as the the marker of the Māori New Year. 

Take the Pipiri Matariki wero or challenge

Here is a great way to learn something everyday this month about Matariki by taking the Pipiri Matariki Wero.

More Matariki resources

Find out even more about Matariki by visiting our Ao Māori Subject Guide page dedicated to Matariki.

Matariki dates 2022

Ara will celebrate Matariki between the dates 20 June to 1 July 2022.

Setting                 23 May

Rise                       21-24 June         

Period                  21-29 June

Many thanks to Tate Tiatia, Kaiarahi Kaupapa Māori Lead, for supplying most of the information in this post.

Celebrating Matariki

 

 

 

 

 

 

This blog is brought to you by Dora Langsbury, Māori Learning Advisor

From ancient through to modern times many cultures around the world have used the moon and the stars to guide their planting and food harvesting strategies. The Matariki star cluster is used by many Māori iwi (tribes) to signal the start of their food planning for the coming year. Some iwi on the west coast of Aotearoa (New Zealand) use Puanga (Rigel in the Orion constellation) as the Matariki cluster is not visible. Māori New Year festivities begin either on the first full moon after the star cluster rises, or on the next new moon. You will see the Matariki cluster on the north-east horizon, before sunrise, from early June. It is the star cluster closest to Earth. In 2020 the Matariki period is 13-20 July.  

Watch a video on how to find Matariki  

Matariki has nine visible stars, according to leading Māori astronomer, Dr Rangi Matamua, who’s been researching Matariki for over 30 years. As part of his research, Dr Matamua found that some of his own tūpuna were able to see nine stars. 

The nine visible stars include: Matariki, Tupuārangi, Waipuna-ā-Rangi, Waitī, Tupuānuku, Ururangi, Waitā, Pōhutukawa and Hiwa-i-te-Rangi. 

Each star holds a certain significance over our wellbeing and environment, as seen from the Māori view of the world. 

Matariki is the star that signifies reflection, hope, our connection to the environment and the gathering of people. Matariki is also connected to the health and wellbeing of people. 

Pōhutukawa is the star connected to those that have passed on. 

Waitī is connected with all fresh water bodies and the food sources that are sustained by those waters. 

Waitā is associated with the ocean, and food sources within it. 

Waipuna-ā-Rangi is connected with the rain. 

Tupuānuku is the star connected with everything that grows within the soil to be harvested or gathered for food. 

Tupuārangi is connected with everything that grows up in the trees: fruits, berries and birds. 

Ururangi is the star connected with the winds. 

Hiwa-i-te-Rangi is the star connected with granting our wishes, and realising our aspirations for the coming year. 

Watch a video of Dr Rangi Matamua talking about Matariki 

 

Kupu o te rā o Te Whare Pukapuka o Ara 

• Matariki 
• Waitī & Waitā 
• Waipuna-ā-rangi 
• Tupu-ā-nuku & Tupu-ā-rangi 
• Ururangi 

Waiata mō Matariki 

Waitī, Waitā, Waipunarangi,  

Tupu-ā-nuku, Tupu-ā-rangi, Ururangi e  

Koinei ngā tamariki o Matariki  

(These are the children of Matariki)  

Ngā whetū e pīataata i te rangi e  

(The bright stars that shine in the sky)  

Ngā whetū e pīataata i te rangi e  

(The bright stars that shine in the sky)

https://www.tepapa.govt.nz/discover-collections/read-watch-play/maori/matariki-maori-new-year/whare-tapere/waiata-song  

The content for this blog was provided by the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa website and Te Wānanga o Aotearoa website