Mānawatia a Matariki me Puaka.

Puaka and Matariki are two important celestial events in Māori culture that have been revitalised in recent times. Today, the celebration of Puaka and Matariki is a time to spend with whānau and friends, and a time to reflect on the year that’s been and the year to come. Because Māori follow the Māori lunar calendar, not the Gregorian calendar, the dates for Matariki change every year. This year we celebrate Matariki from 19 to 22 June, with our third national public holiday being observed on Friday.

Matariki is a cluster of stars in the constellation of Taurus and is known in English as the Pleiades or the Seven Sisters. Matariki is made up of thousands of young stars, identified by their bluish colouring, but only nine of these are visible here on Earth. Some people say that the stars of Matariki are the eyes of Tāwhirimātea, one of the sons of the original parents, Rakinui and Papatūānuku. When his parents were separated by his brothers, Tāwhirimātea went up into the sky with his father and became the atua or the ruler of the weather. To demonstrate how angry has was about the separation of his parents, he attacked his brothers with storms. It is also said that he took out his own eyes, before crunching them up and throwing them into the sky in disgust.

The rising of Matariki in the winter is a sign that the shorter days are coming to an end, and the longer days of spring and summer are on their way. For Māori in the past, this signalled that they would soon be able to return to food-gathering. The nine stars were considered by some as signs for the year to come that could be interpreted to gain information about mahika kai (food gathering) and the weather. Matariki can be found by first locating Tautoru (Orion's Belt) and then tracing the line of these three stars to the north. If you look closely, you might see a faint sprinkle of tiny dots that is about the same width as Tautoru. This is the Matariki star cluster.

The tribes of Whanganui, Taranaki, parts of the Far North, and parts of the South Island recognise a different celestial marker called Puanga. For Kāi Tahu, the star Puaka was the sign that they looked for to signal the end of winter. Puaka is known also known as Puanga and, in English, as Rigel. Puaka is a young, bright star found near Tautoru and is visible now in the pre-dawn sky if you look north-east. At about the same time that Matariki rises in the North Island, Puaka rises in the South Island. The rising of stars is influenced by the curvature of the Earth. Because the South Island is further down towards Antarctica, Matariki rises much later down south than it does up north.

Lastly, Māori believe that appearance of Puaka and Matariki in the morning sky in early winter, marks the Māori New Year or Te Mātahi o te Tau. It signals a time to remember those who have passed, celebrate the present and plan for the future. It’s a time to spend with whānau and friends — to enjoy kai (food), waiata (song), tākaro (games), pūrākau (story telling) and kapa haka.

No reira, Puanga kai rau — The abundant harvest of Puanga. Matariki hunga nui — Matariki of many people.