Mānawatia a Matariki!
Matariki, the rising of a star cluster in the pre-dawn mid-winter sky. The heralding of a new year. The mourning of loved ones. The celebration of life. The hopes for tomorrow and beyond. On June 24, Aotearoa officially celebrates our first Matariki as a national holiday.
A group called the Matariki Advisory Panel was convened last year to give recommendations on how best to celebrate Matariki as a nation. This panel of experts in the fields of Māori astronomy and navigation established a set of guidelines and key values based on ancient knowledge and practice and applicable to our modern context.
The three key principles are: Remembrance, Celebrating the present and Looking to the future.
The values are: Aroha – Love and respect for one another, Whakamaumaharatanga - Remembrance, Kotahitanga – Unity, Manaakitanga – Caring, Tohatoha - Sharing, Mana Taiao – Environmental awareness, Kaihaukai – Feasting, Wānanga – Discussion, Noho tahi – Coming together, Ngākau Atawhai - Kindness, Whakanui – Celebrations, Tuakiritanga - Identity.
The panel also set down two modern Matariki themes. One is home, family and identity and the other is our responsibility and connection to the environment.
At Seven Stars, we love that we have these principles and values to guide our planning. Particularly given that our kindergarten is named for Matariki, we want to ensure that what we’re learning about Matariki and how we share that learning with our tamariki and whānau comes from a place of respect for mātauranga - Māori/traditional knowledge.
If your whānau are thinking about how to celebrate your first official Matariki weekend together, here are our Seven Seven Stars’ Whānau-friendly ways to celebrate Matariki.
Tuatahi: Make it a family goal to learn more about Matariki
Are there seven stars or are there nine? Is Matariki celebrated in this area, or is it Puanga? It’s good to remember that every iwi celebrated the new year in a different way. While many iwi acknowledged the rising of Matariki (Pleaides) as the marker of the new year, other iwi, due mainly to their geographical position, celebrated the appearance of Puanga (Rigel). Some iwi recognised seven main stars in the Matariki cluster while others recognised nine.
In your whānau, you may find that your children know more about Matariki than you do. Most schools and early learning services across the country have been celebrating Matariki for the past decade or more. Your children may already be coming home with knowledge which far surpasses yours! Take the time to find out what your children know and encourage them to share their knowledge with the family. Set a family goal to learn something new about Matariki every year, be it a story, a waiata or more in-depth knowledge of the stars of Matariki and the beliefs attached to them. Try and attend local Matariki events where you’re most likely to hear stories from your area. The internet has some great Matariki information and events taking place in your area.
Tuarua: It sounds obvious but….go outside and look at the stars
There’s no more fitting time than Matariki to rug up and head out for a pre-dawn adventure with your children. Of course if getting the kids out of bed at 5am is neither appealing nor practical, you could opt for a late evening walk instead -s imply to connect to the night sky and stargaze together. Whether you see Matariki or not will depend on your location, the date, the time and the weather but for most children, simply being out under the stars will be an adventure worth remembering-especially if it’s followed up by toasted marshmallows and a flask of hot chocolate! If you’re in the Auckland region, here are some great spots to see the stars.
Tuatoru: Take time to pause..reflect and remember
Ko Matariki te kaitō i te hunga pakeke ki te pō - Matariki draws the frail into the night.
The Matariki star cluster rises in the sky in winter. During these cold days and nights, those who are older and frail can be more at risk of passing away. While we look to the future during Matariki, it’s also a time to think about the past, and mourn those we have lost in the last year.
When Matariki appeared in the pre-dawn sky during mid-winter, a special ritual called ‘whāngai i te hautapu’ was held to honour those who had died since the last rising of Matariki. Cooked food was offered to the stars as the names of the dead were called out. Māori believed that the spirits of the dead became stars in the sky. This ritual helped heal the pain of loss and release the emotional burdens carried by the bereaved.
Matariki 2022 may be a time for your whānau to remember the loved ones you’ve lost over the past year. COVID restrictions have meant that some whānau have been unable to attend funerals and tangi, so for some, a ritual to acknowledge and honour those who have passed will be particularly poignant. Here are some ideas for remembering your loved ones:
● Create a photo montage of happy times together
● Watch their favourite film or play their favourite music
● Speak to other people who knew them well and create a journal of memories in their honour
● Visit a place which was special to them
● Cook their favourite dish and include it in your Matariki hākari
● Plant a tree in their name
● Donate to a charity which they supported
Tuawha: Celebrate!!
Matariki hunga nui - Matariki of many people.
During Matariki festivities people gather together to celebrate the passing of one year and the hope of a new one. This whakataukī speaks to us about the gathering of people at Matariki time.
Traditionally the period after the ‘whangai i te hautapu’ ceremony was a time of celebration. The productive gardening months were over, the harvest had been collected and stored. People gathered together and celebrated by sharing kai, waiata, dancing and kōrero.
Many of you will already have Matariki events and celebrations circled on the calendar. These celebrations may take many different forms, from hāngi and hākari to plays, performance, story-telling, waiata, art exhibitions, making and flying manu aute, tree planting days, mid-winter swims and bushwalks to name a few.
If you’re wanting to start a new Matariki tradition in your whānau, involve your children in the discussions and gather their ideas. Talk about the principles and values of Matariki as noted above and see how they can be incorporated into your celebrations and rituals.
Tuarima: Make some plans for the coming year
Kua haehae ngā hihi o Matariki.
The rays of Matariki are spread.
People say this whakataukī when Matariki can be seen bright in the night sky. The rays of its stars are thought to carry messages for the people. Matariki is a time to share stories, reflect on the past, and plan for the future.
Once the feasting and celebrations had passed, Matariki was a time for people to plan for the future. They shared their aspirations, goals, worries and fears for the upcoming year and discussed how they might approach the various challenges ahead of them.
Perhaps we should take our cues from our tīpuna and see Matariki as an opportunity to renew, reset and plan for the year ahead. As a whānau you could get together and brainstorm ideas around things you want to achieve together but also challenges and problems you can approach collectively to ease the burden on a family member who might need extra support.
Here are a few examples:
● Divvy up housework and chores to ensure everyone’s helping out
● Set a family goal to save up for a special family holiday
● Get everyone involved in planning dinners and cooking
● Volunteer together
● Spend more time together as a family, like a family night out, game night, movie night, and so on
● Find a physical activity which everyone enjoys and set a regular time to exercise together
● Commit to having a device-free dinner at least a few times a week
● Start a garden
● Go somewhere new once a month
Tuaono: Connect
One of the modern Matariki themes shared by the Matariki Advisory Panel is the importance of home, family and identity. Matariki is described as “the beacon which draws people back home to their whānau and friends.” With COVID having had such a huge impact on our ability to travel and visit our loved ones, Matariki can be a time to rebuild and restore social connections. Whether that be connecting with whānau, joining a community group, checking in with a neighbour or contacting an old friend, Matariki celebrations will be all the more sweet in good company!
Tuawhitu: Do something for the environment
The second Matariki theme shared by the Matariki Advisory Panel is around our connection and responsibility to care for the environment. This is the perfect time to reflect on what you can do as a family to be more engaged with nature and involved with environmental wellbeing.
Our tīpuna associated the various stars in the Matariki cluster with the different domains of the natural world, particularly the earth, the forests, fresh water, salt water, wind and rain. Find out more here about how each of the stars connects to a different feature of the environment.. There are also some ideas about environmental activities and enquiries you can explore with your children.
From all of us here at Seven Stars Kindergarten, we wish you and your whānau a Matariki filled with memories, celebrations and dreams for the future.
-Mina Prip