This month, in honor of Matariki, Shepherdess is celebrating many of the inspirational wāhine Māori we have showcased in our magazine – put together in a wonderful journal of stories online. Our Winter Edition is, as usual, filled with stunning stories, including two standout wāhine Māori features: “The World of Kapa Haka” and “Ebb and Flow”. Both are incredible stories with moving and striking images that create the perfect nod to Matariki.
For Tangata whenua, the celebration of the new year is aligned with the rise of Matariki or Puanga in some iwi. It is a time of feasting, celebration, remembering and connecting with whānau. For me, it is also a time of learning. Growing up, I never remember ever being taught about Matariki. Most of my knowledge has developed since the Matariki public holiday was introduced a few years ago. The first Matariki public holiday fell on our daughter’s first birthday. We woke up very early to prepare for her birthday in time to see the stars and watch a beautiful sunrise over Te Whanga Lagoon. It felt very special to share the day with Matariki.
Interestingly, I have recently learnt that our local island iwi, Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri as well as imi Moriori instead refer to Matariki as Puanga. Puanga is given importance here and by other iwi, mainly because some iwi struggle to see Matariki clearly from their locality. Therefore, we look to the next important star near the constellation. That star is Puanga, and the Puanga celebration is in June or July and holds the same significance.
I am also learning for and with my children. This time of the year in particular reminds me of the importance of passing knowledge on to them, and teaching them about their whānau, language, iwi, history and connections to Rēkohu Chatham Islands. I know this would have also been very important to Nanny Glenys, Kenny’s mum, who sadly passed away not long before Lauren was born.
She was particularly passionate about family history and spent many years piecing together and recording the long and broad Dix family history from here on the Chathams. My own grandmother, Joan, wrote a book about our family history in the Teviot Valley to pass on to her children, grandchildren and beyond.
I hope that I will be able to continue to learn and expand my knowledge of Matariki alongside the kids. In particular the connections between stars, planting, harvesting and gathering – something our family loves to do together.
This year, amongst other smaller celebrations here on the Chathams, Te One School have organised a wonderful early morning Matariki ceremony and celebration for the school community and kaumātua at the island marae – Whakamaharatanga. A lot of planning and preparation has gone into the event, including waiata performed by the children, offerings to Matariki and a large, shared breakfast. Hokotehi Moriori Trust celebrate Puanga Moriori with a community lunch later in July, as well as different activities at Kōpinga Marae for the family to come together and enjoy.
I’m not sure what Matariki looks like for our family yet – I think perhaps we still need time to find our own family traditions for celebrating different holidays throughout the year. We are off-island this year, spending the day with my family on the mainland, which makes this Matariki extra special for us. I am sure we will do plenty of feasting, remembering and thinking about the next year (or our next visit and holiday), which feels like a perfect way to celebrate Matariki.
This story appeared in our June Social Club newsletter.
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