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Home / Bay of Plenty Times

Maori traditions rolled out for Matariki

Bay of Plenty Times
19 Jun, 2015 12:52 AM2 mins to read

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Jo'el Komene showed hundreds of children more than 30 different Maori instruments during the week. Photo / Ruth Keber

Jo'el Komene showed hundreds of children more than 30 different Maori instruments during the week. Photo / Ruth Keber

Event organisers are hoping the success of the inaugural Tauranga Moana Matariki Festival will help it become an annual event.

The four days of workshops and displays, organised by Te Puna Rangiriri Trust, which celebrated the Maori New Year and the arrival of Matariki, saw more than 1000 children across 25 Western Bay of Plenty Schools, attend.

Check out our what's on guide: Tauranga Moana Matariki 2015

Children, from any culture, had the opportunity to experience a range of traditional Maori activities including weaving, kite-making, astronomy presentations and farming.

Event manager Awhina August said it had been an amazing week of learning and discovery for the children.

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"The main thing for me was creating a platform for our children to access people who are knowledgeable and have expertise in Maori traditions such as waka hourua (star presentations), mahi raranga (Maori weaving), manu tukutuku (Maori kite), Maori astronomy and celestial navigation."

The presentations were delivered by locals who were bilingual.

Miss August hoped to make it an annual event for the Bay.

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It was important for children to be exposed to these activities so they held on to their identity and culture, she said.

Jo'el Komene showed hundreds of children more than 30 different Maori instruments during the week.

Mr Komene said Maori instruments were almost lost after Europeans first came to New Zealand.

"They brought new and exciting things so the instruments were forgotten about." It was important for children to continue learning Maori traditions today, she said.

Discover more

Trio of fashion stars to sparkle for Matariki

09 Jun 05:05 AM

A feast of fashion celebrates Matariki

11 Jun 12:46 AM

Matariki countdown begins

14 Jun 09:02 PM

Tauranga Moana Matariki 2015 - What's On

15 Jun 02:34 AM

"It's my personal goal to share, the more people's ears I can touch the better awareness there will be," he added.

Hopefully, the children would then share the knowledge in their futures, he said.

The week-long event ends with a fine dining dinner tonight.

Matariki - Maori New Year
•Matariki (the Pleiades) star cluster
•Twinkling in the winter sky just before dawn, Matariki (the Pleiades) signals the Maori New Year. Traditionally, it was a time for remembering the dead, and celebrating new life. In the 21st century, observing Matariki has become popular again. Kites, hot-air balloons and fireworks used to mark the occasion.

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