Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei: Matariki is our responsibility to the place we call home

Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei chairwoman Marama Royal. Photo / Dean Purcell

As the stars of Matariki rise above our ancestral lands at Takaparawhau (Bastion Point), our people will once again open the doors of our papakāinga (village) to welcome the people of Tāmaki Makaurau to our home. Matariki, the Māori New Year, holds deep significance for Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei — it is a time of remembrance, celebrating the present and looking to the future.

Twelve months ago, New Zealand marked a historic occasion as it celebrated the first Matariki public holiday. The introduction of the Matariki public holiday was a significant step towards acknowledging and honouring mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge).

Seeing so many people embrace a uniquely indigenous public holiday showed the future of our nation is as bright as the stars of Matariki.

Last year, thousands of Aucklanders came to our home at Takaparawhau and together participated in a dawn ceremony. The hautapu ceremony involves the cooking of food connected to the stars in the Matariki cluster in a traditional earth oven. Steam from the oven is released as an offering of thanks to the stars, and esteemed tribal experts look to the appearance of Matariki and share aspirations for the year ahead.

Kite day at Bastion Point will be on Saturday, July 15. Photo / Supplied

Matariki reminds us of the importance of intergenerational relationships and passing down knowledge to future generations. It is a time when the wisdom of elders is cherished and shared, fostering a sense of continuity and community.

As Matariki calls us home this year, it is important to reflect on what home means. For Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, home is whānau, home is where we have connection in the deepest sense. It is inherent in our whakapapa. It is beneath the shelter of our mountain Maungakiekie (One Tree Hill), it is in the haven of our harbour, the Waitematā. It is at our urupā (cemetery) with all our loved ones.

Matariki lifts our gaze, reminding us of what connects and brings us together as a nation. On September 18, Ngāti Whātua will celebrate 183 years since our ancestor and paramount chief, Apihai Te Kawau, gifted 3000 acres of land to the Crown to establish Auckland City.

Apihai’s gift created a vibrant place for the more than 1.65 million people who today call Tāmaki Makaurau home.

In celebrating Matariki, we acknowledge our responsibility to the place we call home extends beyond our individual lifetimes. In our rohe (tribal region), we have planted more than a million trees and successfully seeded mussel beds at Ōkahu Bay and along Tāmaki’s waterfront. We are revitalising ecosystems that once thrived, for the benefit of generations we will never meet. Matariki reminds us that the strength is in our collective efforts.

Matariki beckons us home to recognise and appreciate those who keep the home fires burning in our villages and homesteads. It is a special time to reconnect, cherish, and give back to the ones who uphold our customs and traditions and sustain our shared heritage.

This year, as Matariki encourages us to journey back home to celebrate, feast and be with whānau and friends, I want to acknowledge the village keepers who work tirelessly to keep the home fires burning throughout our lands and who have done so proudly for more than three centuries.

Hikaia ngā ahi o Matariki

Hikaia ngā ahi o Te Kahu Tōpuni o Tuperiri

Light the ceremonial fires of Matariki

Light the ceremonial fires of our lands

Marama Royal is chair of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei iwi, is on the boards of MIT and Unitec, and has held management roles at the Ministry of Justice and with Victim Support at regional and national levels.