🌟 Matariki DIY styles, the children's book we fought over, and more
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Kia ora e te whānau,
Nau mai, hoki mai ki Te Arawhata—the Matariki edition!
This week we’re sharing a Matariki pukapuka we fought over, a podcast on how to DIY your own hautapu ceremony, a HEAP of amazing events, and more to help you celebrate this special time of year.
And if you want some extra help… get yourself one of our tino ātaahua Matariki Celebration Packs! These have been flying out the door but this is the LAST week they’ll be available, so buy now to make sure you don’t miss out! Each purchase helps us to keep this pānui/newsletter running too😊.
Righto, let’s do this. Tuatahi/Firstly, e ringihia ana te tī/we’re pouring tea with ‘talk of the tāone’.
- Te Aorere Pewhairangi and Professor Rangi Mātāmua shared this year’s Matariki theme.
- ’Toitū Te Tiriti’, thousands showed up for the nationwide activation.
- Witi Ihimaera has released a new pukapuka/book in his Astromancer series, ‘Ariā and the Kūmara God/Ariā me te Atua o te Kūmara’.
- ”Get the **** over it,” Professor Ella Henry has a clear message to those criticising non-Māori learning te reo Māori.
- Anna Coddington released a catchy new single, ‘Mōhou Rā’, from her upcoming album, due this Matariki.
- In groundbreaking hui news; wāhine led the karanga, karakia AND whaikōrero at Waitangi, while Omāhu Marae hosted thousands, including Kiingi Tuheitia, for ‘Hui Taumata’.
When we were fighti—having wānanga/discussions over which pukapuka to put in the Matariki Celebration Pack, this was Grace and Han’s pick. “It’s so beautiful, ka tangi koe/you’ll cry,” they said, “just read it.” Ten minutes later, through tears, i whakaae au/I agreed. Everything meaningful about Matariki is demonstrated in this story and by reading it to a little one, you’ll be fully embodying it.
Find it: on the Huia website I Time: 15 mins I Cost: $22 I Credits: written by Brianne Te Paa, illustrated by Story Hemi Moorhouse. It’s also available in te reo Māori as ‘Kua Whetūrangatia a Koro’.
Many of us know that remembering our dead is part of Matariki, but aren’t exaaaaaactly sure how or why… Professor Rangi Mātāmua aka THE (Matariki) Man, breaks it down in this video ki te āwhina/to help us understand the journey of our loved ones after they pass and why looking up is a big part of the Māori grieving process e ai ki/according to Māori tūpuna/ancestors.
Find it: on Youtube I Time: 3 mins 30 secs I Cost: free I Credits: presented by Professor Rangi Mātāmua, produced by Punarau Productions, now Long White Cloud.
The coolest thing about Matariki is that it’s a living practise we can all take part in (with a little help from the experts). Here, the Taringa crew generously share how to DIY a hautapu ceremony from karakia, to what goes in the hākari/feast, to how to get the timings tika/right. Paired with great intention, you’re good to go fam!
Find it: on Spotify I Time: 1 hour, the hautapu instructions start at 28 mins I Cost: free with your account I Credits: the Taringa hosts are Paraone Gloyne, Te Puaheiri Snowden, and Erica Sinclair. They also refer to this handy Guide to Matariki.
K, now you’re prepped to share Matariki with ngā tamariki/little ones, cook up a hākari/feast, mihi ki Pōhutukawa, (and heaps more if you’ve got one of our celebration packs). There’s just one TINO hirahira/VERY important factor left to sort: what will you play on the day and set as the soundtrack to all your social posts? This is the one fam.
Find it: on Spotify I Time: 35 mins I Cost: free with your account I Credits: by Maisey Rika
This week it’s all about Matariki e te whānau! Honestly, there’s so much going on this is just scraping the surface. Check out your local pages and this directory for more.
Boogie on down at the ‘Matariki Tamariki Disco’, enjoy a dinner made by Māori MasterChefs, get out on the water with the ‘Puanga Matariki Dawn Cruise’, and listen to traditional stories in the beautiful Puketi Forest.
Go Matariki stargazing at the Stardome, enjoy a day of activities at Toi o Tāmaki/Auckland Art Gallery, party to Katchafire, Savage, Rei and more, or head west for an evening of music, art, and storytelling with locals.
Think of a team name for Matariki Quiz Night, remember a loved one at Te Whare oo Poohutukawa, get up bright and early for the Te Puia ceremony, and check out works of muka in this Matariki Exhibition Program.
Craft a Matariki centrepiece, discover the essence of Matariki in this Creative Exhibition, take the kids to a special Matariki storytime, and celebrate the quiet achievers of Heretaunga at the Matariki Living Taonga Awards.
Experience Māori ingenuity at the ’Puanga Pakihi Māori Showcase’, bring the binoculars to this guided star viewing, party at Palmy’s Puanga Fest, and make Matariki star patches with master fabric artist, Maungarongo Te Kawa.
Commemorate loved ones at the museum, head to Māoriland to see Salmonella Dub, watch Matariki and Puanga rise on the planetarium screen, and listen to this kōrero on Māori kai practices linked to ngā whetū/the stars.
Hear karakia, karanga and kōrero at the ‘Rangitāne Annual Matariki Gathering’, catch a poi demo at the Matariki night market, watch Matariki rise, then eat a yum Blenheim breakie, and make a harakeke star at the library.
Bling your bike for the ‘Night Light Ride’, tuck in and learn at ‘Feast Matariki’, enjoy the lights, installations, and performances at ‘Tīrama Mai’, and take a mesmerising musical journey with ‘Ngā Tohu o Matariki.’
Shop up a storm at the ‘Mākete Matariki’, bring the whole fam to ‘Matariki Arrowtown Kā-Muriwai’, enjoy kapa haka and more at Maruawai celebrations, and witness Gore Gardens transformed for one-night only.
Kāti, we’re out e te whānau. Whether you’re Māori, Tangata Tiriti, Pākehā, Tauiwi, or Tūrehu🧚🏽, we hope this newsletter helped you to learn from, connect with, and just ruddy well enjoy te ao Māori today.
Bring your signs ā tērā wiki/next week because we’re talking protests! Don’t worry—EVERYONE is welcome on this march. It’ll be a goody.
Hei konā!
