Emily Henderson: Matariki holiday brings us together

The Government's Matariki holiday - to mark the rising of the Matariki (Pleiades) star cluster (pictured) - is a time for families to rest, Whangārei MP Emily Henderson says.

OPINION:

In my whanau, Easter has always been a big family time, and a chance to catch a breath and reflect as we head into winter. It's been a tough couple of years for everyone and while there is light at the end of the tunnel, time to rest is increasingly important.

That's just one reason our government is proud to have delivered on Labour's election commitment to establish a public holiday to celebrate Matariki, the mid-winter start of the Māori New Year.

This is the country's first public holiday to specifically recognise and celebrate mātauranga Māori or Māori customary knowledge. Over the past few years, Matariki has increasingly been celebrated not just by tangata whenua, but by many people throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. Making it a public holiday means we all share this special mid-winter break with family and friends.

Starting on June 24 this year, the Matariki holiday will always fall on a Friday, but like Easter, will shift slightly each year to align with the maramataka, the Māori lunar calendar. To give businesses and our community certainty, this government has released the dates for the next 30 years online (https://www.mbie.govt.nz/assets/matariki-dates-2022-to-2052-matariki-advisory-group.pdf).

There's something very satisfying about a new year that actually coincides with our seasons, in this case the shortest day and the beginning of our slow rise out of winter.
Traditionally, New Year's is a time for reflection, and for some, Covid also prompted major decisions, including career changes – overseas, media have been marvelling at how many ordinary people have left unsatisfactory jobs to make a fresh start.

I was reminded of this recently when the latest figures for the Government's two-year free trades training programme showed a 77 per cent increase in people taking up apprenticeships, including more older people, more Māori and many more women than before. Another chance to reset is the Training Incentive Allowance, which we restarted last year. This helps caregivers get qualifications while raising children.

This is great news because we really need more qualified tradies for our booming construction sector and industry. Research also shows getting qualified means greater earnings over your lifetime, and a positive impact on your children's educational attainments as well. Investing in education pays dividends throughout society.

Public holidays also offer multiple benefits, with business representatives anticipating Matariki will give a much-needed mid-year boost to the hospitality and tourism sectors, which have done it pretty tough over Covid.

As we begin welcoming back international tourists, Matariki also provides opportunities to share Aotearoa's unique culture – and I'm looking forward to sharing some of Whangārei's winter festivals, including Tutukaka's Northern Lights Festival and Winter in Waipū. It will be great to see what ways we develop to mark this special time in the future.

I'm proud that Matariki will build on other actions of this government to grow understanding in our communities and better recognise tikanga, and the histories of our nation, including by teaching Aotearoa New Zealand's histories in schools, and increased investment in securing the future of te reo Māori.

For me, however, one of the greatest benefits of this new holiday is that it gives people the opportunity for a break with friends and families. Increasing apprenticeship numbers show people taking the chance to invest in themselves. This new public holiday is also an investment in the wellbeing of workers and families.

■ What is Matariki: Matariki signals the Māori New Year. It is a time of renewal and celebration in New Zealand that begins with the rising of the Matariki star cluster.