New Zealand What is Matariki

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What is Matariki?

Presenter Notes
Celebrate Maori New Year with the Matariki
Festival at Te PaPa, 9 June 26 June 2011

Tuesday, 31 May 2011

Matariki Festival at Te Papa 2011

In early June the star cluster Matariki (the
Pleiades or the Seven Sisters) will reappear in
our dawn skies. The Maori New Year begins with
the first new moon after Matarikis reappearance
and, from 9 June, Te Papa is bringing this
special celebratory period to all people of
Aotearoa New Zealand with an 18-day Matariki
Festival.The theme for this year is Nga Kakahu
o Ranginui The Cloaks of Ranginui. According
to legend, the cloaks of Ranginui (Sky Father)
came from his son Tane, who wanted to make sure
his father, was appropriately dressed in a
beautiful cloak.

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Welcome to the land of Aotearoa (New Zealand)
Matariki is the Maori name for the Pleiades
constellation which appears above the horizon in
early June signifying the start of the Maori New
Year. Traditionally this is the time when new
crops are planted - and the beginning of a new
cycle of growth.

Presenter Notes
Tane decided to endow his father with stars in
the many colours of the rainbow, so he searched
the heavenly bodies of light. Once he obtained
the stars, he threw them up to adorn Ranginui,
along with the moon and the sun. Now, when we
look up into the night sky, we are reminded of
Tanes journey and are inspired by the beauty of
Ranginuis cloak.In the Matariki Festival
programme, the annual Matariki Gala at Te Papa
has become a highlight of Wellington's social
calendar, bringing together the city's cultural,
artistic, and corporate communities to celebrate
the Maori New Year. This year, a special effort
will be made to raise funds for Canterbury. A
percentage of table sales will be donated to the
Red Cross Canterbury Earthquake Relief Fund, and
an auction will be held during the evening, in
which all proceeds will be donated to the fund.

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New Zealand A Slice of Heaven
Matariki is the Maori name for the group of stars
also known as the Pleiades star cluster or The
Seven Sisters. The Maori new year is marked by
the rise of Matariki and the sighting of the next
new moon. The pre-dawn rise of Matariki can be
seen in the last few days of May every year and
the new year is marked at the sighting of the
next new moon which occurs during June.

Presenter Notes
This year sees the return of the crowd pleasing
Seven Sisters and Seven Bothers concerts. On the
Saturday 11 June, enjoy a day of entertainment
with this years seven sisters Kahu Taumata, Nat
Rose Te Hei with special guest sister Kim
Halliday, Majic and Robbie, Aja Wairere Ropata,
Rachel Fraser, Kirsten Te Rito and Mihirangi.

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Matariki has two meanings, both referring to a
tiny constellation of stars Mata Riki (Tiny
Eyes) and Mata Ariki (Eyes of God).

Presenter Notes
On Saturday 18 June, join MC Adrian Wagner and
this years star studded line-up of seven
talented brothers Anatonio Maioha, Troy Hunter,
Wiremu Hohaia, Billy TK Senior, Te Paamu, Coast,
and Maitreya ft The Babysitters Circus. The
Festival has something for everyone including a
range of contemporary and traditional dance,
fashion from New Zealands top Maori and Pacific
designers, a special Whanau day which includes
fun activities for children and seven taonga from
our collection of cloaks will be on display on
the Marae. These cloaks express the importance of
weaving in the Maori creation story, the strength
of an art form that continues through
generations, and the outstanding skill and
knowledge of the weavers. These ancestral cloaks
carry with them the values of kaitiakitanga
(protection and guardianship), manaakitanga
(care), and aroha ki te tangata (respect and
regard for others) values at the heart of
Matariki itself.

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Traditionally, depending on the visibility of
Matariki, the coming season's crop was thought to
be determined. The brighter the stars indicated
the warmer the season would be and thus a more
productive crop. It was also seen as an important
time for family to gather and reflect on the past
and the future.

Presenter Notes
Traditionally, Matariki was a time when Maori
prepared for the upcoming events of the year. We
continue to acknowledge the importance of
Matariki in the past, and its importance to us
for the future. It is a time to reflect, and a
time to spend with family and friends a time to
appreciate the people around us. Come and enjoy
the Maori New Year at Te Papa!Te Papa thanks
the following companies and organisations for
their generous support of the Matariki Festival
at Te Papa Principal sponsor NZ Post, Festival
partners TelstraClear, The Southern Trust, Te
Taura Whiri i te Reo Maori, Te Puni Kökiri, and
Wellington City Council and, Matariki Education
Fund sponsor, Crown Forestry Rental Trust.
Matariki Festival at Te Papa Thursday 9 June
Sunday 26 June 2011.







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Today Matariki means celebrating the unique place
in which Maori lives and giving respect to the
land they live on.
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Matariki is celebrated with education,
remembrance and the planting of new trees and
crops signalling new beginnings.
Hongi ... traditional Maori form of greeting
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Matariki was the optimum time for new harvests,
and ceremonial offerings to the land-based gods
Rongo, Uenuku and Whiro to ensure good crops for
the coming year. 
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It was also seen as a perfect time to learn about
the land we live on and to remember whakapapa
(ancestry) who have passed from this world to the
next and the legacy they left behind.
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Rangi - Sky-father - embracing Papa-Tua-Nuku -
Earth-mother. Rangi is on the bottom front,
shown by a large koru design, topped by a double
spiral niho-kuri - a dog tooth notch is used, and
Papa-Tua-Nuku is depicted being pulled away to
enable Tanes brothers and sisters to leave the
womb. The row of piko, or new ferns, represent
her children and descendants. Papa has a single
spiral attached with niho-taniwha - dragon
tooth notching.
NATURES ORDER Sperm whale bone carving
by Christopher "Kiri" Matatahi
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All Iwi (Maori Tribes) celebrate Matariki,
although they may celebrate at different times.
For some tribes celebrations are held when
Matariki is first seen in the dawn sky, for
others it is celebrated after the full moon
rises, and for others the dawn of the next new
moon.
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The sky was used by Maori for many reasons
throughout history. Reading from the vast volumes
of stars was a way of preserving history,
knowledge, culture and maintaining ancient
practices. The time of Matariki was a celebration
in all customs and beliefs, so arts in its many
forms were very important to this period.
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The appearance of the star cluster known as
Matariki is a time to celebrate New Zealand's
unique history and place in the world. New
Zealand Post marks the start of the Maori New
Year with its Matariki 2011 - Hei Matau stamp
issue. New Zealand Post is also a principal
sponsor of the Auckland and Wellington Matariki
festivals
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In 2010 New Zealand Post proudly marked the
occasion with a unique stamp collection focused
on manu tukutuku (traditional Maori kites).
Authentic emblems of Maori cultural practice,
these kites are also rich in cultural
significance and an integral part of Maori
folklore and rituals. Manu tukutuku or Maori
kites are the theme of the third annual New
Zealand Post Matariki stamp series, marking the
dawn of the new Maori year.
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50c Manu Aute Maori made many of their kites
in the shape of birds (manu). The 50 cent stamp
shows the manu aute, a kite in the shape of a
bird that traditionally represents the
manifestation of a persons soul or spirit. The
manu aute on the stamp is one of the largest
birdlike kites and is thought to be the oldest of
all surviving specimens. It is held at the
Auckland War Memorial Museum - Tamaki Paenga
Hira.
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1.80 Manu Taratahi The manu taratahi on the
1.80 stamp is one of only four known specimens
that have survived to the present day. Manu
taratahi were named after the single plume
projecting from the upper end of the kite
(taratahi means end point). The kite featured on
this stamp is also part of the Auckland War
Memorial Museums collection.
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The contemporary weaver, Veranoa Hetet, was
specially commissioned by New Zealand Post to
create two of the kites featured in the stamp
release the manu patiki on the 1.00 stamp and
the upoko tangata on the 2.30 stamp. The upoko
tangata, traditionally named after the plant they
were made from, were smaller than other kites and
it is believed they were made for younger kite
flyers. The manu patiki takes the form familiar
to many modern kite makers two rods crossed at
right angles.  The finished shape was likened to
a flounder (patiki).
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Traditionally manu tukutuku were produced and
flown at the time of Matariki.
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The iconic sculpture Ferns, by prominent New
Zealand artist Neil Dawson, suspended over Civic
Square, Wellington
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Silver fern sculpture national emblem
Queenstown Gardens, South Island, New Zealand
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The detailed carvings on the outside of the Te
Whare Runanga Marae, from the Tekoteko - the
carving of a man-like figure on top of the Marae,
to the tukutuku and kowhaiwhai patterns inside,
work together to tell the history and genealogy
of their iwi (tribe).
Te Whare Runanga The Maori Meeting House
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Carvings pay respect to the past and every carved
piece tells a story. Traditional carvers versed
in the oral traditions of the tribe, help to keep
Maori culture alive by creating these intricate
works, which can be read by those who know how.
The shape of the heads, position of the body, as
well as the surface patterns work together to
record and remember events.
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2009
New Zealand Post stamps commemorating
Matariki "Matariki is an appropriate time to
honour Maori culture as a key influence on, and
an integral part of, New Zealand's sense of
nationhood. The six-stamp series honours the
heitiki as an icon of Maori Art, and features
three contemporary and three historic heitiki.
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Raponi's contemporary heitiki, carved from
pounamu (greenstone), is on the 1.00 stamp. A
self-taught carver, Raponi has carved more than
1,000 heitiki since the late 1960s. He
specialises in Maori weapons and personal
adornments made from New Zealand pounamu and
paraoa (whalebone), concentrating mainly on the
various forms of heitiki. The use of paraoa
signifies a particularly high regard for the
taonga being created.
The 1.50 stamp shows the contemporary carving by
Rangi Kipa. Proficient in various disciplines,
Rangi specializes in ta moko, sculpture, and
ethnographic taonga and has works in major
collections in New Zealand and overseas. Rangi
was awarded the 2006 Creative New Zealand
Craft/Object Art Fellowship and the Molly Morpeth
Canaday Creative Excellence Award in 2004.
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Rangi Hetet's paraoa carving appears on the 2.30
stamp. The contemporary carving links this year's
series to the inaugural series in 2008 when it
featured on the 2.00 stamp.
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Heitiki from the past are honoured on the other
three stamps An early pounamu heitiki, which was
a feature of the acclaimed Te Maori exhibition
that toured the United States in 1984, is on the
50 cent stamp. The permanent home for this taonga
is the
Auckland War Memorial Museum, and it was selected
for the issue to recognise the 25th anniversary
of Te Maori
The heitiki depicted on the 2.00 stamp is held
in Te Papa. Milky green in colour, it shows the
variety and beauty of the pounamu, the main
material used in carving special and important
heitiki.
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Ka puta a Matariki, ka rere a Whanui. Ko te
tohu o te tau Maori
Matariki re-appears Whanui takes flight. Being
the sign of the Maori new year.
The 1.80 stamp features the un provenanced
heitiki, also held in Te Papa's collections.
While its origin is unknown, this heitiki was
selected by Te Papa's curatorial team as an
excellent example of the art
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The Maori language provides this country with a
unique language identity from the rest of the
world. Maori is becoming more widely spoken. In
1987 the Maori language was named as the official
language of New Zealand, along with English.
'Ko Te Reo Te Ha Te Mauri O Te Maoritanga'
- Language is the very life-breath of being
Maori.
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The Tino Rangitaratanga flag, the Maori flag.
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Rakau whakapapa Genealogical staves, mnemonic
aid to the reciter of long genealogies.
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Text pictures Internet All  copyrights  belong
to their  respective owners Presentation
Sanda Foisoreanu
2011
Sound Hine e Hine (Maiden, O Maiden) -
Hayley Westenra