Mānawatia a Matariki – Happy Māori New Year! We hope everyone had a beautiful day on the 24th!
Matariki aligns with the Maramataka: the Polynesian lunar calendar Māori used when they arrived in Aotearoa approximately 800 to 1,000 years ago. The maramataka encompasses the interconnection between people, the natural world, Moon, Sun, stars and planets.
According to Dr Rangi Matamua, the nine stars represent:
1. Matariki (Alcyone) – the mother of the other stars in the constellation.
2. Pōhutukawa – connects Matariki to the dead and is the star that carries our dead across the year (Sterope/Asterope).
3. Tupuānuku – food that grows in the ground (Pleione).
4. Tupuārangi – food that comes from above your head such as birds and fruit (Atlas).
5. Waitī – food that comes from fresh water (Maia).
6. Waitā– food that comes from salt water (Taygeta).
7. Waipunarangi – is tied to the rain (Electra).
8. Ururangi – is tied to the winds (Merope).
9. Hiwaiterangi/Hiwa – is the youngest star in the cluster, the star you send your wishes to (Celaeno).
Art: Isobel Joy Te Aho-White.