During the coldest time each year the Matariki star cluster comes rising up for the first time in the eastern sky. This occurrence marks the beginning of an important time of year – the Māori New Year. Matariki animation

Traditional Matariki celebrations ‘Matariki ahunga nui’ (Matariki, provider of plentiful food). These occurred at the end of the harvest season when storage houses (pataka kai) were filled with food and the land was unproductive. People gathered to survive the winter, remember the past and plan for the new year. It was a time where people learned about their genealogy (songs were composed). Sharing of food is very important during Matariki. Conservation and respect for the environment are strong themes during Matariki.

This is a time for coming together with whānau (family) to think about the past year, plan for the future, and to take action.

In doing this, we come to understand how each member of our whānau plays their own special part. Sharing in, and appreciating the wisdom and skills of our family members, especially our elders, can help us to shape what we do for and in the world.

The seven stars of Matariki are a family too. The star Matariki is the whaea (mother), surrounded by her 6 daughters: Tupu-ā-nuku; Tupu-ā-rangi; Waipunarangi; Waitī and Waitā; and Ururangi.

Astronomy and the discovery of Aotearoa (Slide show will run automatically)

Maori legend has it that Kupe discovered the Land of the Long White Cloud (Aotearoa). Kupe would have used star navigation during his exploration of the South Pacific.

Knowing where South is important if you are travelling in that direction. Kupe could easily find the Southern Celestial Pole using two constellations: The Southern Cross The Pointers, or Alpha and Beta Centauri Take the middle of the Pointers and draw a line that intersects with the bottom star of the Southern Cross Southern Celestial Pole

Where would the Southern Celestial Pole be in this picture? At the very bottom of the screen: Southern Celestial Pole

Most constellations were named by Astronomers in the Northern Hemisphere: They looked at this constellation and saw…. A Scorpion (Scorpius)

Maori and Polynesian Astronomers saw something different being on the Southern Hemisphere: They looked at this constellation and saw…. The Hook of Maui, Te matau a Maui

How did the Fish Hook end up in the sky How did the Fish Hook end up in the sky? According to Legend Maui threw it up there when he and his brothers caught a Giant Fish: Can you guess what happened to the Fish, Canoe and Anchor? They became Aotearoa!

When is Matariki? Of the many stars and constellations whose movement denoted milestones in the traditional Māori calendar, Matariki is one of the most significant. Matariki is a small but distinctive star cluster that disappears below the horizon in April and whose reappearance in the north eastern pre-dawn sky in late May or early June marks the start of a new phase of life.

Before Māori were introduced to the Gregorian calendar they used their own system of distinguishing specific time periods. Naturally occurring events acted as markers to indicate the end of one time period and the beginning of the next. These markers included the migration and movement of birds, the flowering of plants, the migration and spawning habits of fish and eels and the movements of the stars across the sky.

While the middle of the night might be the most obvious time to view stars, Māori traditionally observed stars in the eastern sky just before sunrise.

Where is Matariki? Matariki is sometimes hard to spot if you are not sure what you are looking for but if you follow the line of Orion’s belt (the bottom of the ‘pot’) down to the left then Matariki can be seen as a small twinkling mass of light. Matariki is Pleiades and is the shoulder of Taurus the Bull.

Early Mäori and Matariki The ancestors of Māori used Matariki (as well as other stars and natural signs) to navigate across the Pacific Ocean to Aotearoa New Zealand. Here on land, Matariki was strongly connected to the seasons for harvesting and planting. The couple of months just before its rising was the season when Māori would harvest and preserve birds and other food for sustenance over the winter months.

Māori astronomers used Matariki to identify if the weather would be good or bad for the coming season. Around the end of April, they would await the first rising of Matariki. Stars shining brightly signalled that it would be a warm year and that crops would be abundant. Blurry or dim stars were a sign that the year would be cold and that crops would be scarce. This also determined when crops would be planted for the coming year.

Matariki beyond Aotearoa New Zealand The star cluster that Māori call Matariki is seen at different times throughout the year in different countries, where indigenous peoples have their own names for it. In Samoa, Matariki is called Matali‘i, and the star cluster can be seen in the evening sky during the month of October. In some countries, such as Japan, only six stars can be seen. The Japanese name for Matariki is Subaru.

Interactive activity Go to the website below and work through the activity http://www.wicked.org.nz/Interactives/Maori- themed-interactives-in-English/Matariki

‘Everything there is to know about Matariki http://www.stuff.co.nz/science/80739387/Matariki- Everything-there-is-to-know-about-it

Conclusion Matariki is a good time to reflect on your place in the world, to reawaken old skills or try out new ones and to set new goals. There are many things you can do to mark Matariki in your own special way. Some may be based on traditional Māori ways of celebrating. For some ideas to get you started view the next few slides……

Activity: The stars of Matariki / Ngā whetu o Matariki What you need: 4 x 45 cm strips of curling ribbon/florists ribbon that is 10 mm wide (2 strips per colour) How to make them: https://my.christchurchcitylibraries.com/maori-stars-whetu/

Activity: Hot air balloon making How to make them - see hot air balloon folder

Activity: Maori kite making Manu Tukutuku The point of the kite is upwards towards the stars/ancestors How to make Manu Tukutuku https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-f4MVvcmLk Find out about Maori kites http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/kites-and-manu-tukutuku

Activity: Sprout your own kumara Lay your kumara or piece of kumara, in damp sand, or suspend it in a jar of water using toothpicks. Keep in a warm sunny place. Change the water once a week. After a couple of weeks, you will notice shoots growing off the kumara. When the shoots are about 10 centimetres long, pull the toothpicks away from the kumara. Plant your kumara in pots and water them well. Give them to your friends and whanau (family) as gifts.

Planting kumara shoots/slips in the garden You can also cut off the shoots, place them in a glass/jar of water to grow lots of roots. When the weather warms up, plant the new plants in the garden.

Kumara Discuss the Maori proverb Kaore te kumara e korero mo tona ake reka (the kumara/sweet potato does not say how sweet it is) Find out about where kumara came from, and in pre-European timeswhen they are harvested, how they are stored, how they are eaten, where they grow best and how they are protected. http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/kumara

Plan a shared morning tea or lunch

Posters about Matariki