The month-long Matariki Festival will commence at 6.00am on Monday 14 June 2010 with karakia (prayers) on Maungakiekie, Auckland's One Tree Hill. That’s the day of the first new moon since Matariki, (Pleiades, in the constellation Taurus), began to appear in New Zealand’s northeastern sky. By tradition, the first rising of Matariki heralds the end of the old year, and Maori New Year celebrations begin with the following new moon.
To the Maori people, Matariki has traditionally been a time for reconnection with the land, the sea and the sky. It’s a chance to show respect, to share time, food and goodwill, remembering those gone before and acknowledging the passing of another year. It is also a time to look ahead, sharing and growing together, and encouraging the next generation.
Celebrating Matariki
Art organisation Toi Whenua has co-ordinated the Matariki Festival as a celebration for all. The Matariki Festival website decribes it as “a special time for all New Zealanders to share, a time to come together and celebrate our unique Maori heritage, nature, creativity and expression.” The festival is a collaboration between the four Auckland city councils, its programme packed with events and activities daily. These include:
Ko Te Pukaki - A Maori Ecological Project. The fields of Auckland landmark Bastion Point are being returned to their native bush state by the local Ngati Whatua people. The ongoing project will be celebrated with a community planting on 19 June, followed by a hangi.
Stars of Matariki. A dinner and show at the TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre, Manukau on 26 June starting at 7.00pm. The show features an all-female, all-Maori lineup of entertainers including Anika Moa, Betty-Anne Monga and Maisey Rika, who will be joined on-stage by special guests.
More Matariki Festival Events
Awataha Marae Celebrations, Northcote. On 3 July a 32 metre flagpole gifted by North Shore City Council will be erected to mark the marae’s 20th anniversary. On 4 July the waka Te Manu Toroa will be launched on its maiden voyage around North Shore, in conjunction with a hikoi by Awataha kaumatua.
A Time Of Remembrance; Of People And Of Place. On daily until 11 July at Corban Estate Arts Centre, Henderson, this exhibition combines the annual Auckland Festival of Photography with Matariki celebrations. On display are works by photographers and multimedia/film artists that echo a central theme of Matariki – that it’s a time of remembrance. Organisers describe the exhibition as “a way of remembering those who are gone from our lives, the places we hold dear as well as cherished milestones or forgotten events.”
Matariki Native Noise. Auckland Town Hall is the venue for an evening of Matariki entertainment with Matariki Native Noise 10, a collection of some of New Zealand/Aotearoa’s leading musicians. The concert takes place on 9 July starting at 7:00pm.
NZ Post Manu Aute Kite Day. An activity for all the family on 10 July starting at 10.00. Kites are traditionally seen as connecting the heavens with the earth, so kite flying has an important traditional relevance to Matariki.
These are just a few of the numerous Matariki Festival events taking place over the month. The full programme of events, including costs and booking requirements where applicable, is on the Matariki Festival website
Matariki’s Increasing Public Profile
For much of the 20th century Matariki was largely unknown and unrecognised outside the more traditional close-knit Maori communities. That has changed over recent times, particularly with the coming of the new millennium. Today Matariki is firmly a part of New Zealand’s annual calendar, to the point where there have been calls for it to become a national holiday.
For a month from 14 June 2010, Aucklanders have the chance to celebrate Matariki in a number of ways and at a number of events. They are reminded of this time of significance by the lights of the city’s Sky Tower, lit up in red and blue, the official colours of Matariki celebrations.
Brian Cross - Brian is a feelance writer specialising in content for the corporate sector, based in Wellington, New Zealand.
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