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Thousands gather to embrace Puanga Twilight Festival

The chill in the air was no match for the warmth of song and solidarity at Manawatū’s largest Matariki celebration.Thousands of people gathered beside the awa for the Puanga Twilight Festival at Ahimate Reserve in Palmerston North on Friday.Beneath strings of bright lights, and beside the dark sparkle of the Manawatū River, communities came together to mark the first Matariki public holiday with kapa haka, musical performances, kai and fireworks.Palmerston North City Council and Rangitāne o...

Matariki: Marking the Māori New Year

Luke David Adams arrived about 2.30am alongside a number of parents and staff to get the fires burning for the kai."We've got two hāngi going - one for our umu kohukohu whetū, and the hautapu, which is the ceremonial one, and they've got four baskets that we wove."There's four stars all to do with kai - one for fresh water, one for salt water, one for kai above the ground, and one for kai below the ground. Each basket, we've put one of the different food groups in there, which we won't eat. We...

Spy:

Conversations with Friends' star Sasha Lane may be American-born, but we are claiming the beautiful and talented wahine as a Kiwi and we know she won't mind. The actress, who originates from Houston, Texas, is of Māori heritage. Her mum, from Taumarunui, married an African American man with whom she had two children but the pair split and she stayed in the US to raise Lane and her brother.As her star has ascended, so has Lane's interest in finding out more about her heritage in Aoteoroa. A fern...

Tauranga District Court Judge slams Spring Hill prison

A District Court judge has slammed the "utterly unacceptable" management of a prison after failures that will result in a Tauranga man locked away for months for crimes he may not face an actual prison term for anyway.Now the director of the prison has apologised, launching a review into what went wrong.Eighteen-year-old Noah Thompson appeared before Judge Paul Geoghegan in Tauranga on Wednesday, to be sentenced after pleading guilty to three charges each of burglary and driving while suspended,...

Cheat sheet:

FIRST OFF: ‘MANAWATIA a MATARIKI’ Matariki refers to the rising of the star cluster known as Pleiades. For Māori and those who follow the maramataka (Māori lunar calendar) this marks the end of one lunar cycle and the beginning of another – te tau hou Māori (Māori new year).WHAT DOES MATARIKI REPRESENT? Matariki represents an opportunity to fine tune our senses and connection with cosmic processes and cycles, as Lambert notes. But do we only connect with the taiao during one week or on...

School brings people together

Children at a Palmerston North school should be well versed in the meaning of Matariki.West End School held a day of Matariki events on Thursday, inviting family to school to take part in Māori games and activities, including kapa haka and shared kai.But the children have also in recent weeks been learning about the meaning of Matariki, the Māori New Year, which will be marked for the first time by a public holiday on Friday.Principal Matt Kennedy said Matariki was about more than just one day...

Māori, council co-management

The first project on the books connected to a co-management partnership between Māori and New Plymouth’s council is full steam ahead, with more in the pipeline.Waitara’s Marine Park, and its planned re-development, is the inaugural one based on a relationship created between New Plymouth District Council (NPDC) and Te Kōwhatu Tū Moana (TKTM), which owns the site.In March 2019, NPDC signed an agreement with Te Atiawa iwi, and Manukorihi and Otaraua hapū regarding how the outcomes of the N...

Whānau gather under the southern stars

A fire crackles in the frosty morning air as whānau speak the names of their loved ones who’ve passed this year, allowing them to become stars.The sun hasn’t even begun to rise yet, but they’ve gathered at Te Rau Aroha Marae in Bluff – New Zealand’s southernmost marae – for hautapu.The pre-dawn ceremony gives thanks to the stars and nourishes the atua (gods) as whānau ring in the Māori New Year.Te Rūnaka O Awarua Kaiwhakahaere Dean Whaanga carefully opens offerings of kūmar...

Matariki:

As Aotearoa kicks off its first official Matariki public holiday, The Project's Kanoa Lloyd sat down with Rangiānehu Mātāmua.Prof Mātāmua, a Māori astronomer, has been campaigning for Matariki for many years.Link to video: Matariki: Kanoa Lloyd sits down with Māori astronomer Rangiānehu Mātāmua | Newshub...

Head to harbour

Those looking for some uplifting light in the darkness of mid-winter Dunedin can find it in Otago Harbour for the next three nights.A journey reflecting the connections of Dunedin to the wider Moananui-a-Kiwa (Pacific Ocean) will be projected on to a water screen in the Steamer Basin between 5.30pm and 8.30pm from Friday and is expected to draw large crowds.The free Dunedin City Council-funded light show, titled "Mana Moana: Otepoti" celebrates the inaugural New Zealand Matariki public holiday.T...

Matariki:

Wellington’s hills became an amphitheatre as the sky above Te Whanganui-a-Tara lit up with fireworks as Matariki was recognised officially for the first time.Crowds packed the water’s edge for the display on Friday evening following a day of festivities for the Māori New Year, which has become Aotearoa New Zealand’s first indigenous public holiday.The fireworks show went ahead despite Māori astronomers earlier this month warning the Government fireworks were an inappropria...

Native trees planted

Thousands of native trees are being planted at the foot of Marlborough’s Wither Hills to celebrate this year’s Matariki.Hundreds of kids from 17 schools in the region would take part in the two-day community tree-planting project at the Wither Hills Farm Park on Tuesday and Wednesday.Around 3000 native tress would be planted on the one hectare farm, and students from Witherlea School, Redwoodtown School and Marlborough Girls College were there for a couple of hours on Tuesday morning to plan...

Festival of Lights

The lights were out for four-year-old Kiara Joines last night as she got an early look at the first ever TSB Festival of Lights Winter Pop-Up in New Plymouth.The event, which opens tonight, runs until Sunday and coincides with Matariki, the Māori new year. Taranaki iwi observe this time of year as Puanga.The free mini-festival, put in by New Plymouth District Council, is set around the Huatoki Plaza and Coastal Walkway, with live performances, kai and whānau-friendly entertainment over the fou...

What does Matariki mean to you

WRITE ON STUFF: Different people understand and celebrate Matariki in different ways.Matariki is the Māori name for the cluster of stars also known as the Pleiades. These stars rise at this time of year.Matariki also marks the start of the Māori New Year – te Mātahi o te Tau.It is a time for reflection, to remember our loved ones who have died.Link to article: What does Matariki mean to you and how are you celebrating it? | Stuff.c...

Matariki 2022:

Quilt artist Maungarongo 'Ron' Te Kawa discovered the impact his beautifully crafted pieces had when a couple of construction workers admired his work displayed in an Auckland art gallery.Mesmerised by the stories that the quilts told, the workers wandered off the street to let Te Kawa know of their appreciation."People do recognise themselves in my work. The construction workers came in one at a time and told me their pepeha and their tribal affiliations. They talked in Māori, they talked abou...

South Canterbury schools celebrate

Matariki is being celebrated at schools throughout South Canterbury, with one dedicating an entire day to honour the occasion.On Friday, New Zealand will celebrate its first indigenous holiday – Matariki, new year on the Māori lunar calendar.With the day a public holiday, many schools throughout the region have chosen to mark Matariki in the lead up to the day off.At Waimataitai School, principal Jonathon Young said the school had decided to dedicate all of Wednesday to Matariki events.L...

Kaiārahi i te reo offered 79% pay increase

A historic pay equity settlement could see kaiārahi i te reo – expert advisers in te reo and tikanga Māori – receive a 79% pay increase for their work in schools.If the offer is accepted, kaiārahi i te reo earning $23.04 per hour would be paid $41.31, with proposed pay increases ranging from 77% to 83%.Kaiārahi i te reo work alongside teachers and use their knowledge of te reo and tikanga Māori to support school communities.The pay equity process was started by NZEI Te Riu Roa and the M...

Matariki displays light up Auckland CBD

Auckland’s Queen Street is alight with artwork to kick off Matariki.Auckland Mayor Phil Goff said the display, called Matariki ki te Manawa, will bring light and colour to the city centre, with Queen Street taking centre stage.“Matariki ki te Manawa promises a spectacular display that will bring vibrancy to our city centre, attract visitors and provide a boost to businesses impacted by Covid-19,” he said.“Highlights will include an impressive lightshow projected onto the Chief Post Offic...

Stan Walker stands in for Elton John

When The Lion King film first came out in 1994, actor Mātai Rae (Ngāpuhi, Waikato) did not speak te reo Māori.“I had no reo Māori at all, and actually, it was that year that I started my journey in te reo,” he said.Now he has voiced Pumbaa, the iconic, endearing warthog in Kīngi Raiona, the reo Māori version of the Lion King which premiered at the Civic Theatre in Auckland on Tuesday night, ahead of its general release on June 23.Link to video and article: Stan Walker stands in fo...

Rob Ruha

I have five tamariki with my beautiful wife who has been the backbone to my musical endeavours and achievements. We live in the tribal territories of Te Whānau-ā-Apanui as active contributors to our hapū and our whānau speak Māori as a first language.Kapa haka will always be my first musical love and will forever be acknowledged by me as the mothership of Māori music. I have been writing waiata for kapa haka since I was 12, and in 2013 I was encouraged to pursue a solo career in music...

Tourism operators draw on Matariki values

This year, a new multi-day festival is being launched in the Mackenzie region, aiming to draw visitors to the hard hit district and celebrate Māori New Year.It was one of two Matariki festivals to receive government backing with hopes they would become internationally significant in time.Matariki remained a time for celebration, remembrance, growth and renewal.Kāi tahu astronomer Victoria Campbell said all New Zealanders could benefit from and engage with Matariki."This is a really important t...

Matariki 2022:

For centuries, Māori have marked the reappearance of the small cluster of Matariki stars in the mid-winter sky, by gathering to enjoy the bounty of harvest from the earth, sea and sky.It is a time for remembering - particularly those who have passed away in the past year - enjoying being together with good food, and looking forward to all that the coming year will bring.But there's also much more to discover about Matariki, with stories to be shared, as well as the rich symbolism in traditional...

Skies clear for magical

The organiser of Tauranga's first Matariki Kite Day says it's "fantastic to see how much the event has grown over the years".Despite a wet started to the weekend, skies cleared in time for hundreds of colourful kites to take flight for Matariki Kite Day on Sunday.Around 2800 people flocked to Fergusson Park to enjoy the warm winter’s day, fly a kite, and watch the New Zealand Kitefliers Association put on a spectacular display.Link to video and article: SunLive - Skies clear for magical M...

Babycity apologises

Baby goods store Babycity has apologised for promoting a Matariki sale, saying it never intended to offend or disrespect the celebration.Babycity had advertised its sale by saying Matariki was a time of “reflection, preparation and celebration with family and loved ones.”“Prepare for this next chapter with amazing offers across our range,” it said in a post, which has since been deleted.Link to video and article: Babycity apologises for promoting 'culturally insensitive' M...

Matariki Experience

Part of ILT Stadium Southland has been transformed into an otherworldly night scape for Tuurama Trust’s Matariki Experience.Think lighting to set the scene, a booming voice and video display sharing the pūrākau (stories) of the Matariki stars, and an artist’s impression of what they might look like as people.After months of planning, Tuurama Trust cultural activator Jay Coote is “stoked” to be inviting children and whānau down to the stadium to learn about the Māori New Year.Link to ...