Celestial navigator Jack Thatcher giving a workshop for Matariki ki Mauao. Photo / Talia Parker
Matariki is ours and it is time to share it.
Those are the words of celestial navigator and community activist Jack Thatcher, who is encouraging people to learn more about the uniquely indigenous holiday.
Today is the first time Matariki is being observed as a public holiday, but Thatcher has been involved in community Matariki celebrations since 1993, taking schoolchildren on trips up Mauao to see the constellation.
"Matariki ... is ours. And we want to share it like we do all of our things."
This week he is working at the Matariki ki Mauao centre at the Mount Maunganui campground, where he runs workshops teaching about traditional Māori practices such as knots, land rigs, and the maramataka calendar.
He said Matariki was an opportunity for him and his navigation students to "share what [we've] been learning with our communities".
"And that doesn't just mean the Māori community - it just means everybody that's keen.
"It's a wonderful celebration - it's something we can celebrate without all of the negative things that happen out in the world."
He said Matariki was a time to remember those that had passed, come together as families, and look towards the future.
"That's a beautiful thing to do - we bring our families over to share with them ... those desires to want to create a better world for our children, our grandchildren, and future generations."
He encouraged those who may have left their homes to return and spend time with their families.
"By enabling the whole country to share in that [celebration], and to be able to appreciate a day to spend with family ... you keep the family together."
The appearance of the Matariki constellation marks the start of Te Mātahi o te Tau, the Māori new year.
According to a Matariki handbook, Living by The Stars, knowledge of the stars was "connected to seasonal activities such as planting and harvesting, the flowering of plants, the spawning of fish and the natural cycles of the environment" for Māori ancestors.
The rising of Matariki is celebrated with a three-part ceremony, whāngai i te hau tapu. The three stages are the viewing of the constellation, the remembering of the dead, and the offering of specially prepared food.
Before dawn today an umu [earth oven] will be opened and the steam from the food within will rise to feed Matariki.
An umu kohukohu whetū is a traditional oven and te whāngai i ngā whetū or feeding the stars, is a traditional practice to celebrate Matariki - the Māori new year.
Traditionally the umu will contain four items, related to four of the stars in the constellation. To represent Tupuānuku, it contains something from the earth like kūmara, to represent Tupuārangi, it contains something from the sky like chicken, to represent Waitī, it contains something from freshwater like tuna or watercress, and to represent Waitā, it contains something from the ocean like fish.
Opening the oven to feed the stars is the third step in Matariki celebrations and is preceded by the viewing of the stars and remembering the dead by calling their names in the presence of Matariki.
If you look east in the early morning sky you will find three stars in a row. This is Orion's Belt, often known as The Pot. Māori call this Tautoru.
Now go to the middle star in Tautoru. Above it, you will find a bright star called Puanga. Puanga is another star that is used to observe and acknowledge the new year. This varies from iwi to iwi.
If you go right from Tautoru, you will find the brightest star in the sky, Hinetakurua, the Winter Maiden. Hinetakurua is one of the wives of Tamanuiterā, the sun.
If you go left from Tautoru you will find a pyramid shape in the sky, Te Kokotā. It is the face of Taurus the Bull. Then if you go left a little bit more you will see Matariki.
- By Hauiti Gardiner, Te Papa educator
What is Matariki and why do we celebrate it?
Matariki is the Māori name for the star cluster most commonly known as Pleiades. Traditionally, Māori used the rising of Matariki as a marker for the New Year.
How many stars are in the Matariki cluster?
It depends on the culture and location. Across the world some have six, others seven, some have nine and some even have 12. In Aotearoa some believe there are seven stars in Matariki while others say there are nine.
Why do the dates for Matariki change each year?
Matariki follows a lunar calendar system, which is different to the modern solar calendar, so the Matariki dates change each year, just like Easter.
How can we celebrate Matariki today?
While in some areas of Aotearoa there are still formal ceremonies happening, celebrating Matariki can be as simple as having a shared feast with whānau and friends, celebrating who we are and where we are at the present time, remembering those that have passed since the last rising of Matariki, and planning for the year ahead.
How do I say 'Happy New Year' for the Māori New Year?
'Mānawatia a Matariki'.
Source: Living By The Stars
Reg Hennessy has owned pubs, taverns and liquor stores over a nearly 50-year career.
