Matariki at Auckland Museum

Ngā mihi o te wā o te Matariki ki a kōutou kātoa

Matariki was traditionally a time for planting and harvesting for the coming months. It was a time for whānau to come together, celebrate their joys, look forward to the future and reflect on the loss of loved ones that had passed. Knowledge and history were also shared through tikanga, waiata, whakangāhau, whakairo, raranga and pūrakau. In more recent times, it has become a special time of year to respect the land we live on, celebrate the unique place we live in and continue to share and grow with each other.

Matariki is important to Māori and Pacific people and other cultures around the world. This is reflected in the whakatauki (proverb) Matariki hunga nui (Matariki has many admirers, Matariki brings us together). It was celebrated by the ancient Greeks, Inca, Indians, Celts and still is in parts of the Pacific. In Hawaii it is known as Makahiki, Samoa Mata-ali’i and Tahiti as Matarii’i. The constellation was also used by people and cultures as a navigational aid for voyaging the seas.

Matariki collection

Each garment of the Matariki capsule collection by Lucky Dip, created by Tuhirangi Blair, is named for one of the stars in the Matariki cluster, plus the father, Rehua. Come along and discover the inspiration and meaning behind these one-off garments.

Mānawatia a Matariki Trail

AVAILABLE UNTIL 30 JULY
FREE WITH MUSEUM ENTRY
PICK UP YOUR FREE TRAIL MAP IN TE AO MĀRAMA SOUTH ATRIUM

Come and test your navigational skills throughout some of the galleries of your Museum, where your challenge is to find clues to win fantastic star-themed prizes. Enjoying learning the names of the nine stars that make up the Matariki cluster and what they represent for Māori.

PERFORMANCE

Traditional and Contemporary Hawaiian Hula

SAT 15 JUL, 2PM - 3.30PM

Matariki heralds the end of one year and the beginning of another, the Māori new year. Matariki is also recognised in Hawaiʻi, where it is called Makahiki. Come together to celebrate with both traditional and contemporary hula performances.

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PERFORMANCE

Matariki Hunga Nui

SAT 1 & SUN 2 JUL, 11AM & 1PM
SAT 8 & SUN 9 JUL, 11AM & 1PM

Experience the wonder of Matariki Hunga Nui: A Celebration for the Whole Family! Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland Museum and The New Zealand Dance Company invite you to gather your loved ones and embark on a journey that celebrates the magic and meaning of Matariki, the Māori New Year.

Te Whānau Mārama

Our Matariki edu-programme story opens with tamariki participating in a play detailing the separation of Ranginui and Papatuānuku, leading into an introduction to the multiple reasons we celebrate Matariki and how we do it. Matariki brings us to a natural close of the year as the weather gets cold and we head inside with our whānau to reap the fruits of our labour and watch for Matariki’s signals for the year to come.

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Sonia Snowden's kete whakairo

The star pattern on this kete whakairo made by Sonia Snowden refers to the Matariki constellation. Traditionally the Matariki constellation was used by Māori for navigation and as a signal of the change of seasons. The appearance of Matariki would indicate it was time to prepare food for the coming year. In contemporary times Matariki is referred to as Māori New Year. It is a time to be with friends and family and celebrate our culture.

Sonia Snowden’s kete reminds us Matariki is a time to honour the plants used in weaving and be mindful of the resources Papatuanuku provides.

Ka puta Matariki ka rere Whānui.
Ko te tohu tēnā o te tau e.

Matariki re-appears, Whānui starts its flight.
Being the sign of the new year.

_{Kete Whakairo, circa 2005 by Sonia Snowden. Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira. 2017.45.4, 56891}

Hear from Te Whai Smith

Te Whai Smith began as an Auckland Museum Intern on 16 December 2019, under the supervision of Ian Proctor, Associate Curator, Documentary Heritage. She entered the Museum Heritage and Practice program at Victoria University, Wellington, as a Masters student after being inspired by the knowledge, skills and dedication of Kaitiaki Taonga professionals in her previous study. Te Whai is working on the George Graham collection, rehousing, re-cataloguing and using Te Ao Māori kaupapa in understanding the collection’s significance.

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Ko te whiu o te kōrero i whiua ki Tarimano ko Te Aongahoro, ko te ruahine a Tawakeheimoa kia rere ki mua ko Rangiwewehi e. Ka tahuri te titiro ki raro, ki ngā tara o Whaingaroa, ngā kāinga mata o tōku whanaketanga. He tuhikura ki te rangi ko Ngāti Pakahi, ko Tahawai ki te whenua, e tū mā konā e ara e.

Ka tahuri ngā whakaaro ki ngā mate, ki ngā tira o te kākahi, haere atu rā koutou ki te huinga kahurangi, ki te hono i wairua okioki ai. Ka hoki mai ngā whakaaro ki ngā mataora, ki ngā āhuatanga o te wā. Nau mai Matariki, te mātahi o te tau. He wā tēnei hei tuku i ngā āhuatanga me ngā taumahatanga o tērā tau, ā, he wā noki kia huakina te ngākau me te whatumanawa ki ngā āhuatanga o te tau hou. Nō reira, tāiri mai e Matariki, e Pohutukawa, e Hiwa-i-te-rangi! Taiāwhio, tēnā tātou.

Ko Te Whai Mātauranga Meiporo Smith tōku ingoa. He mokopuna ahau nō te Kohanga Reo, he raukura nō te Kura Kaupapa Māori, he tauira noki nō Te Wānanga o Raukawa. I whānau mai ahau i Ōtaki, heoi anō, i tipu ake ahau ki ngā rekereke o maunga Emiemi, ki te papakāinga o tōku karani pāpā a Nuki Aldridge ki Rataroa, ki Whaingaroa.

I tēnei wā he ākonga ahau ki te Whare Wānanga o Wikitōria. E aru ana ahau i ngā mātauranga o te whare pupuri taonga, ā, ko te ingoa o te tohu e whāia ana e au ko te ‘Museum and Heritage Practise’. I tipu te hōkaka me te pīkoko i roto i ahau kia aru i tēnei o ngā ara i te wā au i te kura. Ā, ko Vicky Heikel tērā i te kōrero mō āna mahi tiaki taonga ā-pepa, he kōrero tēnei i kitea e au i tētahi pukapuka i tōku kura. I reira i tipu tuatahi te hiahia. I a au i Te Wānanga o Raukawa (2015) i tae atu tōku akomanga ki tētahi kauwhau e hāngai ana ki tētahi kaupapa o Te Papa Tongarewa, ā, ko Migoto Eria rāua ko Paora Tibble tērā. I reira i tipu kaha te hiahia. I te 2019 i whakatau ahau ka aru au i tēnei tohu mō te kaupapa e kīa nei ko ‘Museum and Heritage’.

I tēnei tau i whai wāhi ahau kia haere mai ki kōnei, ki Tāmaki Paenga Hira, ki te whakatūtuki i te wāhanga whakamutunga o taku tohu. Kei te wāhanga o te whare taonga ahau e tiaki ana i ngā taonga ā-pepa (Documentary Heritage). Ko taku kaupapa he tiaki, he pupuri, he pupuru i ngā taonga ā-pepa o te Kohikohinga o Hori Kereama (George Graham Collection). E whā pea aku mahi ki tēnei kohikohinga. Tuatahi ko te whakapaipai i te wāhi noho o ngā taonga ā-pepa nei, arā, he whakaraupapa i ngā tuhituhinga, he whakarite pouaka anō e roa ake te ora o ēnei taonga. Tuarua, ko tāku he aro nui ki ngā tuhinga i te reo Māori, he tirotiro ki te rārangi rauemi o te kohikohinga nei kia kite mēnā he tika ngā whakamāramatanga mō ia mea. Tuatoru, he tuhi rīpoata mō te hiranga o tēnei kohikohinga. Ko te tikanga o tēnei kia mōhio a Tāmaki Paenga Hira mēnā he mana tō te taonga kia noho mai ki tā koutou whare. Ko te mahi whakamutunga he kauwhau i taku kaupapa.

Ko tētahi o ngā pātai mōku ake mō taku noho ki Tāmaki Paenga Hira, me pēhea ahau e whakatinana i te mātauranga Māori ki roto i aku mahi? I whakaaro ahau ki tēnei mea te whakapapa me ōna āhuatanga maha. E ai ki te Māori, mā te whakapapa e whakamārama i te hononga o te tangata ki te tangata, otirā, o te tangata ki ngā mea katoa e ora ana. Nā, i taku rangahau i ngā āhuatanga o te kohikohinga o Hori Kereama i rapurapu haere ahau i ngā hononga o Hori Kereama ki ngā tupuna i whai wāhi ki roto i tōna kohinga. Nā te whakapapa ahau i ārahi ki ngā hononga whakapapa o tēnā tupuna, o tēnā tupuna me tā rātou whanaungatanga ki a Hori Kereama, me te mea nei e hara i te mea i hopu noa iho a Kereama i ēnei kōrero hei painga mōna ake. Nā te whakapapa i pūrangiaho, i mārama ahau ki te āhua, ki te raupapatanga, ki te take noki o tēnei kohikohinga. E whai pānga ana tēnei kohikohinga ki a Ngāti Whātua, ki a Ngāti Whanaunga, ki a Ngāti Paoa, ki a Ngāti Maru, ki Te Uri o Hau, ki Te Kawerau a Maki, ki Wai-o-Hua, ki Ngāti Huarere, ki Ngāti Tunohopu, ki Ngāti Whakaue, ki a Ngāti Awa, ki a Hauraki noki. He maha anō ngā hapū/iwi kāore anō kia whakaingoatia, erangi, ānei te nuinga. Ko tētahi pea o ngā tino āhuatanga o tēnei mahi e tino hiahia ana ahau te whakatutuki ko te tūhono i ngā uri o Hori Kereama ki tēnei kohikohinga. Erangi, nā te poto o taku noho ki kōnei kāore pea e tutuki tēnei hiahia.

Heoi anō, e mihi ana ki a Ian Proctor. Nānā i whakaae mai kia mahi ahau ki tēnei kaupapa whakahirahira hei whakawhanake i aku mōhiotanga me aku pūkenga tiaki taonga. Nōku te maringanui! Heoi anō rā.