A decade or so ago, many New Zealanders didn’t know much, if anything, about Matariki, but finally that’s changing. We learn how much we don’t know, and investigates how to celebrate Matariki faithfully and true to tikanga Māori (and to set you up perfectly for the year ahead).
Before it was deemed a public holiday, all of us at Capsule thought we knew what Matariki was. We knew it was the name of the cluster of stars which first appears in the night sky in late June or early July. We knew it was the name of the Māori New Year. We knew it was the name of the accompanying celebrations. We knew it was about spending time and sharing kai with whanau. I
But as one of our nation’s tangata tiriti (New Zealanders of non-Māori origin), there was much we didn’t know until we started working on this story.
Matariki isn’t about just marking a year off the calendar and greeting the new one. Rather than being just a celebration, it’s a time to pause. To take stock. To reset.
Reflection on the past was such a big part of Matarik, and we didn’t know that Matariki is the time to honour and farewell those who passed away over the past year.
Matariki is also about planning for the future – envisaging the year ahead and what it might bring. For centuries, Māori watched the stars of Matariki to discern signs of, for instance, whether summer will be favourable to food crops and when to plant them. Matariki recognises the efforts of growing, harvesting, and storing food for winter, and that’s why Matariki is about feasting, or sharing kai.
We now know Matariki is about past, present and future: honouring the past and those who have passed, centring yourself in the present alongside loved ones, and looking ahead to the future. And the first step is to look at the stars.
What is Matariki?
Known to Western astronomers as the Pleiades in the constellation Taurus, Matariki is both the Māori name for that cluster of stars (some count seven, some count nine) and also the name of the brightest star in that cluster (which is the guardian of the cluster’s other stars). Mata ariki means ‘eyes of god’ and mata riki means ‘little eyes’. The new year Maramataka (which means ‘the moon turning’) begins with the first new moon after Matariki appears in the sky.
Matariki is much bigger than a day – but finally we have a day to focus on it. 2022 was the year that Matariki becomes a public holiday, to be marked this year on 14 July and each year until 2052 (and hopefully after that).
It’s about bloody time, given we have a public holiday for Waitangi Day (even though the Treaty wasn’t exactly positive for all involved), a public holiday for the birthday of a King who lives in England and multiple public holidays based on a historical figure considered by some to be the son of God. So yeah, it’s about time New Zealand had its first public holiday that recognises te ao Māori: the Māori world.
Matariki 2023 – What we’ve learnt from last year.
For Jade Maipi, Cheif Creative Officer of Māori-owned agency Mahi Tahi, the focus for Matariki moving forward is to make sure the occasion is treated with the reverence she says it deserves. Jade is behind a newly-launched awareness campaign in partnership with Te Māngai Pāho that aims to create a stronger sense of unity and understanding about the importance of Matariki to everyone in Aotearoa, regardless of their culture.
“Matariki is about reconnection with self, whānau, whakapapa and nature,” she says. “So for me and my whānau it’s a time for us to come together, talk, catch up, rest, recuperate and set our goals for the future and also for us we make an active decision to get out into the taiao (nature) – either go for walks, even lighting a fire and sitting around a fire, chatting, talking, catching up and talking about what our hopes and dreams are for the future.
“With this only being the second year, it’s about going home, being with loved ones or whānau or just being in spaces where you feel loved and spaces that give you a lot of energy because the thing for us is that we’re so used to looking at other things and taking and thinking about ourselves as individuals and what we also need to consider is how we give back to certain spaces, people and locations.”
While interest in celebrating Matariki is high across the motu, there has already been criticism of some businesses and organisations’ attempts to “commercialise” the holiday. Jade says it’s not a time for businesses to turn a profit,
“Matariki is a significant cultural and spiritual event for Māori. Traditionally, Matariki is a time of reflection, celebration and looking ahead to the future – it’s an appreciation of the ocean, the earth and the environment. It’s important for businesses and brands to educate themselves on the values of Matariki so they can celebrate authentically, rather than use it as a marketing opportunity.
“Our Matariki campaign is intended to educate and raise awareness about the occasion, its significance and how people can authentically celebrate”. Businesses and organisations that don’t educate themselves, and who don’t understand the significance of Matariki run the risk of facing criticism if their actions commercialise the holiday – regardless of their intention. There is a balance to achieve because we want businesses and organisations to be empowered to celebrate Matariki and do their bit to raise awareness, but this has to be done with respect.”
Is Matariki the same for all Māori?
What does Matariki mean to different people? Lawrence Wharerau (Ngāpuhi Whānui), Senior Curator Taonga Māori at Experience Wellington, tells us that “the helical rising of the constellation Matariki means and marks a lot of different things to many different people. For me, it is a time to repose, reflect, remember, recuperate, renew, and share.”
The ‘Many Meanings of Matariki’ video, shared by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, relays what Matariki means to tangata whenua. Waikato University professor Rangianehu Matamua (Tuhoe) – an expert in indigenous studies, Māori culture and language revitalisation and Māori astronomy – said he takes stock at Matariki. “I take a dedicated moment to think about those people that have impacted upon my life and my family – and particularly if we’ve lost them since the last rising of Matariki, I’ll call out their names to the cluster and farewell them that final time as they become a star in the sky.”
“I also think to myself, what have I done throughout the year to support my communities, my people, my family, I hold myself accountable and think about what I’m going to do for the impending year. How have I positively impacted on not just my community but my environment?
Grace Jacobs Corban, Learning Specialist at Space Place (the former Carter Observatory), reckons we should literally look at the stars. “Once Matariki rises, everyone should have a go spotting it in the night sky. Matariki will rise a little bit earlier every morning, so will continue to be visible in the sky all the way until next autumn.”
The Matariki star cluster isn’t visible to people in some locations. Different iwi and hapu can have different dates, different tikanga (traditions) and diffferent kōrero tuku iho (oral histories). Some iwi recognise this time of year by the appearance of Puanga (Rigel), and others by the appearance of Rehua (Antares). Some of these iwi and hapu don’t want their tikanga for the Māori New Year to be ignored in favour of an homogeneous marking of Matariki.
How to celebrate Matariki:
So how will we mark the Māori New Year? Perhaps it’s a chance for me to reassess my Pākehā New Year’s resolutions. Joining the gym? Fail. Putting away my cellphone for the night at 6pm? Fail. Writing any words in my Wellbeing Diary? Fail too.
But all that just doesn’t seem appropriate for Matariki. For me, Matariki will be a time for a wider reset: to look a bit deeper, to contemplate what’s important to me in my life, and my impact on others. We’ll invite family for a pot-luck dinner.
Matariki is traditionally the time where whānau share the kai that has been harvested and stored, so gathering your loved ones for a feed is a lovely way to mark the occasion. You can also light a candle to remember those that have passed, get together with your extended family and friends, spend time with them and start a new tradition, or get out your journal and reflect on the goals you’ve set and dreams you still have. And of course, head outside and look up at the stars – this is a great time to practice some gratitude.
Ngā mihi.
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