Whanganui Regional Museum Māori educator Waiora Marama will share more about Matariki and Puanga at an event with Whanganui Women's Network. Photo / Karen Hughes, Whanganui Regional Museum
Whanganui Regional Museum Māori educator Waiora Marama will share more about Matariki and Puanga at an event with Whanganui Women's Network. Photo / Karen Hughes, Whanganui Regional Museum
The theme of Matariki this year is Matariki mā Puanga, making it an extra significant year for Whanganui, Ruapehu and nearby areas.
Puanga is also known as Rigel, the brightest star in the Orion constellation, which rises at the same time as the Matariki constellation.
Puanga sits higherin the sky than Matariki, making it important for many inland or mountain-based communities.
“Everywhere else in New Zealand, you can probably see Matariki, especially if you live somewhere flat but, if you’re living inland or right next to a huge maunga, chances are you can’t actually see Matariki but you can see that high star, the Puanga star, and that’s letting us know that Matariki is here,” Whanganui Regional Museum Māori educator Waiora Marama said.
Matariki is marked as the beginning of a new year in the Māori lunar calendar.
Celebrations of Matariki and Puanga also mark a time for honouring passed loved ones.
Marama said Matariki and Puanga made up the nose and the tail of what is known as Te Waka o Rangi, the boat of the heavens.
“The sky waka has a captain, Taramaiuku, there’s even a nice big star at the back of the boat where we imagine he’d be sitting, and his job is to ferry all of the souls of the people who have passed on and turn them into stars.
“For Maori, we traditionally have believed that we are all made of stardust and that’s where we will return.”
The soul is let go after a year of mourning, something Marama will do for her late Uncle John this year.
“One of the traditions that my family have around Matariki is we all gather together somewhere in the wop-wops and have a big bonfire and cook-up and look at Matariki and Puanga and call out the names of people that have passed on.”
Marama will share more about the significance of this time of year at a potluck dinner hosted by Whanganui Women’s Network with the Multicultural Council and Regional Museum between 6pm and 8pm on Thursday, June 19.
Attendees are invited to bring a small plate of food to share and an item that is meaningful, such as a symbol of midwinter or solstice from their culture.
The event is open to everyone of all backgrounds, all ages and genders, but space is limited. Those interested should reserve their spot by contacting multiculturalwhanganui@gmail.com.
The broadcast will run from 5.45am on Friday, June 20, starting with a traditional hautapu ceremony.
Television personalities Stacey Morrison and Mātai Smith will host the celebrations, with reporting from content creator and te reo advocate Te Aorere Pewhairangi.
Ngāti Rangi will host the national Matariki mā Puanga broadcast. Photo / NZME
The broadcast will also feature music performances pre-recorded at Whanganui’s Duncan Pavilion.
The featured artists include Mohi Allen, Aja, Te Reo o Te Arepa Ratana Morehu Silver Band and Whanganui-raised Seth Haapu.
“Performing by the beach where I used to swim and at the very venue where my mum and dad once sang makes this homecoming even more special and deeply reflective,” Haapu wrote in a Facebook post.
Those wanting to attend a Puanga celebration in person can attend the karakia ceremony at the Pūtiki Wharanui Marae starting at 5.45am on Friday.
The celebration comprises traditional ceremonies honouring whakapapa, recently deceased loved ones, and Papatūānuku (mother earth) while practising sensory wisdom, intentional dreaming, renewal and contemplation.
Attendees are encouraged to bring a chair and blanket for comfort through the ceremonies, and must register at puanga.org.nz/events.
Schools are also contributing to the festivities, with Tawhero School in Whanganui and Mangaweka School holding galas on Thursday, June 19.
Tawhero School is hosting the Puanga Twilight Gala from 5pm to 7pm, with traditional kai for sale, including hangi, seafood boils, rēwena bread, smoked eel and pulled pork.
The money raised will go towards kapa haka uniforms, a bike track and an end-of-year school trip.
Thrive Whanganui, in partnership with Te Manu Atatū Māori Business Network, is hosting the Puanga Pakihi Māori Showcase.
The event recognises Māori entrepreneurship and innovation and offers a platform for Māori businesses and artisans to showcase their work, and for the public to interact with Māori businesses.
The Puanga Pakihi Māori Showcase will feature a range of stalls from arts and crafts to food, services and modern business ventures.
“It’s an opportunity for the community to come together and experience the richness of Māori entrepreneurship,” Thrive Whanganui programme and partnership lead James Paul said.
The event is on Saturday, June 21, from 9am-1pm at The Backhouse on Drews Ave.
Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery is hosting a series of events in June to celebrate Puanga, including weaving demonstrations, a stone carving workshop, talks and school holiday sessions.
The main feature is an exhibition titled Kanapa Ki Runga – Kanapa Ki Raro (Shining Above – Shining Below) which explores themes of renewal, light, ancestral connection and future dreaming through traditional and contemporary art forms, storytelling and kaupapa-led events.
“It has been an honour to develop this Puanga exhibition to mark the beginning of an annual celebration and to reflect on the mātauranga of our ancestors,” Sarjeant Gallery curator of programmes and engagement Cecelia Kumeroa said.
“This is a time to remember our loved ones who have passed on and to enjoy the company of family and the elders who are still with us.”
The exhibition is on until Sunday, September 21.
For more information on the Kanapa Ki Runga – Kanapa Ki Raro exhibition and accompanying events, visit sarjeant.org.nz
Olivia Reid is a multimedia journalist based in Whanganui.
