A time to gather, to reflect and to plan

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Opinion

New Zealand’s newest public holiday is being celebrated for only the second time tomorrow and has already established itself as a day with a character all of its own, very different from the other traditional holidays.

Rather than celebrating the initial signing of our founding document, an unsuccessful but nation-defining miliary campaign, the birth of a sovereign, the struggle for an eight-hour working day or long-standing Christian festivals, Matariki has meanings that are both unique to this country as well as echoing ancient observations and festivals worldwide.

Many cultures celebrate the rising of the star cluster known in other parts of the world as Pleiades or in some as The Seven Sisters.

Matariki is also known as the Māori New Year. It was a time to gather and feast on the last harvest, offer some to the gods for a good season ahead, while also selecting the best kumara tubers for spring planting.

But to Māori, Matariki has much more significance than this.

It is also a time for people to honour those who have passed on, to reflect on what we have learned, contributed and are grateful for, to celebrate the present, and to plan for the future.

Like the Chinese New Year it is a time for renewal and the start of a new phase of life.

The spirit of renewal and hope for the future has a special significance for Tairāwhiti this year after suffering so badly from severe weather events.

Many marae across the region are hosting their own wananga for their whanau, hapu and iwi to attend and in the afternoon, a rangatahi-targeted event is to be held in the Marina carpark organised by Te Runanga o Turanganui a Kiwa.

The runanga began celebrating Matariki by sharing stories in the parks around Gisborne, which then grew to larger street events.

A Tataia Ra festival is planned for Uawa Tolaga Bay.

One thing to stress is that people should not regard Matariki as only for Māori or just a welcome extra long-holiday weekend.

Matariki has a message for all of us of using the day to get together with loved ones and enjoy kai and each other’s company.

Race relations in New Zealand are better than in many other countries but there are some deep divisions over issues like co-governance and bilingual signs, especially with the added spark of an election year and some politicians trying to take advantage of lingering prejudice and ignorance.

It would be beneficial for everybody to use the deeper spirit of Matariki as a time to reflect and look for ways they can benefit both their own lives and the country as a whole.