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Living By The Stars Tamanuiterā EP3 - Maui and the Sun

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Puanganui o te Rangi Resources

These resources have been published in English and te reo Māori to help guide people through Te Maru o te Tau and Te Tahi o te Tau, two Puanga ritenga (ceremonies).

These resources are for anyone who is interested in Puanga and want to expand their knowledge about the various Puanga ritenga. The Māori version is targeted at intermediate and fluent speakers of te reo Māori.

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Discover comprehensive resources in English and te reo Māori for navigating Te Maru o te Tau and Te Tahi o te Tau, two Puanga ritenga (ceremonies). Ideal for newcomers and enthusiasts alike, delve into the revival of these cultural practices with tailored guidance for all language proficiency levels.

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Ngā whetu o Matariki - the stars of Matariki

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Matariki Heri Kai - The Feast of Matariki

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Ngā mihi o te tau hou | New Year’s greetings

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This resource is designed to encourage English Medium learners to dip their toes into mātauranga Matariki with dual language resources for entrance level reo Māori learners, as well as activities and waiata that reinforce the new learning and key ideas from the eBooks.

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Ko Wai mā ngā Whetū o Matariki? Who are the stars of Matariki?

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This resource is designed to encourage English Medium learners to dip their toes into mātauranga Matariki with dual language resources for entrance level reo Māori learners, as well as activities and waiata that reinforce the new learning and key ideas from the eBooks.

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New Whetū Mārama film celebrates Sir Hekenukumai Busby life

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“Ngā Tamariki o Matariki” waiata composition by Anna Coddington. Copyright Anna Coddington.  Licensed by Anna Coddington for use solely for educational purposes related to the app Te Mātahi o te Tau (0-6). All rights reserved.

Ko te mātahi o te tau he wā ka whakanuia ki ngā waiata huhua. 
Te mātahi o te tau is a time for celebrating with waiata (song).

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“Matariki Whetū Meditation” commissioned by Kristina Cavit of The Kindness Institute and voiced by Te Aorangi Morini. Copyright Kristina Cavit. Licensed by Kristina Cavit for use solely for educational purposes related to the apps Te Mātahi o te Tau (7-11) and Te Mātahi o te Tau (0-6).  All rights reserved.

“Matariki Whetū Meditation” musical composition created by Maree Sheehan. Copyright Marie Sheehan. Licensed by Maree Sheehan for use solely for educational purposes related to the apps Te Mātahi o te Tau (7-11) and Te Mātahi o te Tau (0-6).  All rights reserved.


He kāhui whetū a Matariki, he ingoa hoki nō tētahi o ngā whetū o te kāhui. 
Ko Matariki te whetū e hono ana ki te hauora o te iwi.  
He oranga kei roto i te whakatau mauri. 
Tīmatahia ka whai mai i tēnei whakatau mauri poto.


Matariki is a cluster of stars but is also the name of one of the stars in the cluster.
Matariki is the star connected to our wellbeing. 
Meditation helps us to feel good. 
Press play and follow along with this short meditation.

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“He Waiata Matariki”, waiata composition by Rahera Davies. Copyright Rahera Davies. Licensed for use solely for educational purposes related to the app Te Mātahi o te Tau (7-11). All rights reserved.

Ko te mātahi o te tau he wā ka whakanuia ki ngā waiata huhua. 
Te Mātahi o te Tau is a time for celebrating with waiata (song).

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"Long time coming" - Dr Rangi Mataamua on Matariki celebrations

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Matariki 2020, Hiwaiterangi, Episode 1

Last aired on Thursday 16 July 2020

Matariki i te Pō Digital Series is a celebration of the nine stars of Matariki - Te Iwa o Matariki and what they represent.

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Matariki i te Pō Digital Series is a celebration of the nine stars of Matariki - Te Iwa o Matariki and what they represent.

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Tirama tirama Matariki
Me ana tamariki

Pōhutukawa
Ururangi
Tupuanuku
Tupuarangi
Waitiī Waitā

Waipunarangi e

Ko te potiki
ko Hiwa-i-te-rangi

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This is Huiterangiora meeting house at Pane-te-ure marae in Rūātoki, eastern Bay of Plenty. Pane-te-ure is a marae of the Ngāti Rongokarae hapū of Ngāi Tūhoe. According to one story Huiterangiora was also the name of a wharekura (house of learning) in the underworld. There Miru taught a range of skills to the family of his lover Hinerangi, including many games. They took this knowledge back to the human realm.

Using this item

University of Auckland, Department of Anthropology, Anthropology Photographic Archive
Reference: 374618

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

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This is Huiterangiora meeting house at Pane-te-ure marae in Rūātoki, eastern Bay of Plenty. Pane-te-ure is a marae of the Ngāti Rongokarae hapū of Ngāi Tūhoe. According to one story Huiterangiora was also the name of a wharekura (house of learning) in the underworld. There Miru taught a ...

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When to view Potiki

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Look after our night sky

How to find Scorpius

For Aotearoa, Scorpius is Te Matau a Māui, the fishhook that Māui used to fish the North Island from the sea. This is an allegory to the fact that when travelling on the ocean, the land looks like it’s being pulled from behind the horizon by an invisible force. In reality, it is the curvature of the Earth that makes it look so.

Māori have a few names for Scorpius: Manaia ki te Rangi in April, May and June, Te Matau a Māui in July, August and September and the prow of the waka of Tamarereti in October and November. The constellation disappears behind the blaze of the Sun at the beginning of December and reappears on the morning sky at the end of the month. There is a direct relationship between the Southern Cross and Scorpius. When the Southern Cross approaches its highest position in the sky, Scorpius will rise in the east and when the Southern Cross is almost at its lowest position in the sky, Scorpius is setting in the west.

In June, July and August, you will find Scorpius climbing the sky from the east to just north of overhead (zenith).

While the Pacific navigation tradition assigns a zenith star for each of the Pacific islands, we can say that here in Aotearoa, our zenith stars are the ones that make up te Matau (fish hook) of Māui – in the constellation Scorpius.

Scorpius and the centre of our galaxy, seen as if looking south or west

Scorpius is a zodiacal constellation

The stars of Scorpius are in a region of the sky that lies behind the apparent path of the Sun. As all Planets orbit on the same plane around the Sun,  this path also marks the plane of the Solar System.

The Centre of the Galaxy

Scorpius is very close to the centre of the Milky Way

When we look towards Scorpius, we are looking towards the centre of our galaxy, which is on the edge of the neighbouring constellation, Sagittarius.

Although the stars of Scorpius are at different distances in space relative to our Solar System, from Earth they look like a very distinctive fish hook shape. To the observers from Europe and Middle Asia, where the constellation only rises about 30 degrees above the horizon, they look like a scorpion crawling around the horizon, hence the name.

Watch this video about Scorpius, our beautiful winter constellation.

About the Light Pollution Campaign.

Once a month, around the New Moon you can join our Light Pollution Project as a Citizen Scientist!

Join in and measure light pollution on your street!

Every month, around New Moon, for about a week, the sky is dark enough to see many stars. This is the perfect time to measure light pollution, by comparing what we should see to what we actually see in the sky. Go out on your street at night a couple of hours after sunset and count the number of stars you see in Scorpius.
Compare your results with the maps we provide. Then report them on the Globe at Night website. We support you to do these activities and if you get stuck just send us a message.

Follow this link for a step by step guide of what you need to do.

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Whānau gather/travel  Friday 24th.

Saturday 25th
Hautapu Ceremony at Dave's place.
Gather from 5:30 am and be ready to begin at 6:00 am.

Lighting the candles - Tiria is playing her spirit flute 'Siyotanka"

To decided
Waiata -
Haka?

Kai for Te whāngai - feeding the stars.
Kumara- Tupuanuku
Chicken - Tupuarangi
mussels -  waitā
fish - waitī (trout or salmon)

Breakfast on the Fire
Sausages - Irirangi
Eggs - Ria (2 trays)
Spaghetti - Ria
Bacon - Helena -Ria
Bread & Buns - Annie/Helena
Spuds & Kumera - Annie
Bake Beans - Annie, Marg
Mussels - Irirangi
Grapes - Ria
Mika - Helena
Aporo- Annie
Orange Juice- Chris & lemonade
Yoghurt - Irirangi
Blackpudding - Irirangi
Tiria - bread?

Butter - Irirangi
Paper plates - Da
Cups- Da
Tin foil - Da
Damper
Skewers?

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Your current browser isn't compatible with SoundCloud.
Please download one of our supported browsers. Need help?

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Matariki and Māori astronomy with Dr Rangi Matamua by Te Papa

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Associate Professor Dr Rangi Matamua from the University of Waikato, has spent over 20 years researching Matariki. In this podcast he shares a Māori perspective of astronomical and cosmological links relevant to Matariki.

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Re: - For Matariki, my whānau held a hautapu ceremony for the first time | Facebook| By Re: | "Feed the stars, fill your cup."

Hautapu is a traditional ceremony about making an offering to the Matariki star cluster. 

Two Waikato rangatahi,...

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"Feed the stars, fill your cup."

Hautapu is a traditional ceremony about making an offering to the Matariki star cluster. 

Two Waikato rangatahi,...

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Māori have a few names for Scorpius:
Rehua found in Scorpius - Antares red star, two wives on either side.
Manaia ki te Rangi in April, May and June
Te Matau a Māui in July, August and September and the prow of the waka of Tamarereti in October and November.
Te waka o Tamareti

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In November, in New Zealand, we look at the beautiful asterism of Te Waka O Tamarereti (Tama Rereti). Māori say that he is the one who placed the stars in the sky. Read here the story of Te Waka O Tamarereti.

About the story of Tama Rereti

This is my favourite story about the night sky on a world-scale and my favourite asterism. First of all, it's huge, stretching about 270 degrees around the horizon. And secondly, is not too obvious, it takes a while to figure it out. You have to work a little bit, unlearn what you knew about constellations and take all of Scorpius, Centaurus, Crux, Carina, Vela, Eridanus, Tucana, Dorado, Canis Major, Orion and Taurus and morph them into this amazing canoe, the canoe of Tama Rereti.

I first heard of it from Master Navigator Jack Thatcher in 2005 at a navigation wananga I attended at Carter Observatory. The asterism is visible for a short period of time just after sunset, in November, as our galaxy surrounds the horizon. New Zealand is famous for its spectacular views of the Milky Way, as the centre of it climbs all the way to zenith in winter but in November Milky Way's centre lays low. Imagine Earth like a ball that floats in the whirlpool which is our galaxy. This time of the year, the horizon happens to be aligned with the galactic plane, as if we step from the horizon onto the galaxy. This sight is only visible for about two hours each evening after sunset, for about two weeks in November. The bright stars that are seen above the horizon make Te Waka O Tama Rereti. Jack Thatcher says that the stars of Te Waka O Tamarereti are showing the navigators the path to Aotearoa. Only from New Zealand you can see them line up around the horizon.

To my joy, Jack came back to talk about navigation and Te Waka O Tamarereti in November 2006, when I organised MataOra, Wellington's first Polynesian Navigation Festival at Carter Observatory - at the time still the National Observatory of New Zealand. Then he returned in November 2007 for the next edition of MataOra but the Observatory was closed for refurbishment and our team run it in collaboration with Wellington Museum of City and Sea - now Wellington Museum. In 2009, the International Year of Astronomy, my team and I run the event one more time, independently, with support from UNESCO and Ngati Toa at Takapūwāhia Marae. Along the way, the story of Tamarereti was a constant companion.

Many years later, in 2021, Carter Observatory is renamed Space Place and together with Wellington Museum is part of the great experience of Wellington. I recently had the joy of seeing my 18-years long dream of telling the story of the Pacific and European navigation in a planetarium show. I am the creative producer for the planetarium movie called The Navigators, featuring Jack Thatcher as himself, which we launched in October 2021. The movie was made thanks to a Tuia250 grant and I have been working with an amazing team to make it happen. One of my favourite moments of the movie is at the end, when Jack goes off script explaining where Te Waka O Tamarereti is in the sky. We immediately knew it was the best ending we could have ever wished for. You can see our awesome movie at Space Place in Wellington.
___________

How to find:

If you want to see the canoe of Tama Rereti, start looking when and where the Sun has set.

Te Tauihu, Hekenukumai and Rehua

You will notice a curved and reversed question mark, sinking into the horizon: Scorpius, which is the prow of the canoe: te tauihu.

Te Waka O Tamarereti - Te Tauihu - photo series by John Drummond, Gisborne, November 2006 for MataOra

What we know as the stinger, the star named Shaula, is the beautifully-carved wood above the te tauihu - the bow of the canoe. For contemporary Māori, Shaula is Hekenukumai, according to Jack Thatcher, named in the honour of Sir Heke-nuku-mai-nga-iwi-Puhipi Busby. A short distance below the stars at the end of Scorpion's curving tail, is the place where the bow meets the water. The curve of the Scorpion's tail and body is embedded into the Milky Way, which at this time of the year surrounds Aotearoa with a glistening ocean of stars. As water waves move along the side of the canoe, bright Rehua (Antares), marks the crest of a wave as the great waka rides at anchor.

Uruao, Ranginui and Mahutonga

From te Tauihu - the bow, a little bit to the left and low on the horizon is the Waka's anchor rope marked by both Uruao - Alpha Centauri, the third brightest star in the sky, and Ranginui - Beta Centauri, traditional Pointers of the Southern Cross - Mahutonga. Mahutonga, the Southern Cross, is the great stone anchor of the waka.

Te Waka O Tamarereti - Uruao, Ranginui and Mahutonga - photo series by John Drummond, Gisborne, November 2006 for MataOra

A tall mast goes from Mahutonga all the way to the star Achernar, the end of the Northern Hemisphere's river Eridanus. Our southern skies galaxies, the Magellanic Clouds, are the sails of the waka.

Kaipatiki and Piawai

To the left, Kaipatiki is the Diamond Cross, and Piawai is the False Cross. A little bit more to the left, Atutahi-Canopus - Mataamua nga Whetu, the second brightest star in the sky is the chief of all stars and the navigator of the canoe.

Te Waka O Tamarereti - Piawai and Kaipatiki - photo series by John Drummond, Gisborne, November 2006 for MataOra

Takurua, the brightest star in the sky is down on the horizon to the left of these.

Te Waka O Tamarereti - Atutahi and Takurua - photo series by John Drummond, Gisborne, November 2006 for MataOra

Then also to the left of Takurua comes Orion, which with its three belt stars known as Tautoru, which makes the carved stern post or te Taurapa, which goes all the way from Betelgeuse, a red-giant star, to blue Rigel - Puanga.

Te Waka O Tamarereti - Te Taurapa, the sternpost - photo series by John Drummond, Gisborne, November 2006 for MataOra

Laying high above the waters, Puanga is a supergiant blue star, directly above the line of Tautoru. From the top of the stern post, a ribbon of flax blows out in the wind, the Hyades cluster. At its tip is orange Aldebaran - Taumatakuku. Further left is the Pleiades, which at this time of the year is the feathers that adorn the canoe flaunting above the ripples left behind by the wake of the waka.

Matariki disambiguation

Matariki is another name that the Māori sometimes give to the Pleiades, but only in the morning of June-July when it marks the Māori new year.

For Māori, the Pleiades have different names depending on the time of the year they are visible, and most importantly, where in the sky they are. Most people can see six stars with the naked eye and dozens in binoculars. The cluster is 440 light years away and around 70 million years old. Māori related to the number six - there were six processions for a new high chief installation and six districts for the 'fish of Rongo', Matamua (2017), Matariki, the star of the year. However, now most people talk about the nine stars of Matariki. In reality, there are more than six or nine, there are thousands of them.

In Europe, the Pleiades have only one name no matter what time of the year we look at them. For Māori, they will have different names according to when they are observed and together with other stars, they will make combinations which are known as asterisms. As Europeans are accustomed to constellations, Māori have instances of the sky, which are made of various asterisms. Same asterism can be reused to imagine other asterisms, for instance, Scorpius is Te Tauihu part of Te Waka O Tamarereti in November and Te Matau A Maui in September when by itself drags the Milky Way down from the sky.

Sky-bound people, Māori learned how the sky looks at different times of the year and at different latitudes, then ciphered these images in stories. For each destination they keep in mind the vision of the sky above the land they are trying to get to. For instance, each island in the Pacific has its own Zenith star - Hokulea (Arcturus) for example is the marker for Hawaii. Aotearoa is the exception as it has an entire asterism, the fish hook of Maui, which climbs all the way to zenith in winter nights.

Navigator Hoturoa Barclay-Kerr explains how in the process of moving from one island to another, navigators bring the vision of how their destination looks like closer to them, almost as if the canoe is standing still and the land is moving. When they reach their destination, it feels as if everything falls into place. According to Master Navigator Jack Thatcher, Te Waka O Tamarereti is the path that pulls Aotearoa, when the navigator sees the stars from the asterism lining across the horizon then they know that the destination is close.

Bonus content: flying horses and most distant galaxy seen with the naked eye

The only part of the sky that is not Te Waka o Tamarereti is towards north. To the left of the Pleiades, which are part of the zodiacal constellation Taurus is Aries, and to the left of it you can see the hind-legs of the only flying horse that looks like a square: Pegasus.

Andromeda is the furthest galaxy we can see with the naked eye: 2,5 million light years away.

Clear skies!

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In November, in New Zealand, we look at the beautiful asterism of Te Waka O Tamarereti (Tama Rereti). Māori say that he is the one who placed the stars in the sky. Read here the story of Te Waka O Tamarereti. This is my favourite story about the night sky on a world-scale and my favourite asterism.

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I first heard the story of Te Waka o Tamarereti from navigator Jack Thatcher in 2005. He was holding a navigation wananga at Carter Observatory and I just arrived in New Zealand and started working there. Since then, it has become one of my favourites legends ever. There are a few variants for it and my favourite is one I was given by educator Tony Fisher in 2007, which is written below.

November in Māori is approximately Orongo, and means the time after the great rain. Orongo harbours the most beautiful asterism I have ever imagined, the grand canoe of Tama Rereti, te waka o Tama Rereti.

The story of Tama Rereti:

(rewritten from a resource compiled by Tony Fisher for the SMART Trust)

A very long time ago, soon after the first people were placed on the Earth, there were no stars in the sky at night. It was so dark that it was impossible for humans to walk around outside without tripping into things. Taniwha were the only creatures lurking in the dark. Taniwha are very powerful guardians of nature and it was said they liked to feed at night on anything that moved, spending their days asleep at the bottom of lakes and in deep rivers.

At this time lived a great warrior named Tama Rereti. His whare (house) was at the south end of the great lake that we call Taupo. One morning, Tama Rereti awoke feeling hungry yet very little was left in his food store so he decided it was time to go out fishing again. It was a lovely mild late spring morning with a light breeze from the South.

Tama Rereti gathered up his fishing lines and baits and put them in his waka (canoe), then pushed off onto the lake. He hoisted the sail and set off for his favourite fishing spot. Arrived at it, he lowered the sail and started fishing. After a while, when Tama Rereti had caught some nice fish he decided to head back to the village for a late breakfast.

Unfortunately the wind had dropped and he was becalmed. It was a beautiful warm day and Tama Rereti decided to lie down on its waka for a snooze. The gentle rocking of the waka and the sound of the waves lapping against the sides put Tama Rereti soon to sleep.

While he slept, the gentle breeze returned and the canoe with Tama Rereti on board sailed quietly all the way to the north end of the lake. Tama Rereti slept for a long time. When he awoke he saw himself at the far end of the lake. There was no way he could make it back home across the lake before dusk. And after dusk the taniwha would come and eat him up. Tama Rereti was a brave warrior. He was not afraid of fighting the taniwha but he’d rather get back home in one piece to his wife and children, to the Ahi-kaa, the sacred fire of his family.

By now he was very hungry. Tama Rereti, a wise man, knew that important decisions cannot be taken on an empty stomach. He had to eat. So he sailed his canoe to a nearby beach, threw over the anchor and paddled ashore with his fish. There, he lit a small cooking fire. He skewered his fish onto a stick and baked them over the flames. When they cooked, he sat on a log eating and contemplating how to get home. He listened to the sounds of the breeze in the trees, the song of the Tui and the rippling of the little waves as they washed on the beach. It was warm and it felt very peaceful. As Tama Rereti gazed into the final dance of the flames of his fire, he noticed that all the pebbles and stones he used in the fireplace stayed luminous.

Suddenly this gave him an idea. He loaded as many of these shining stones and pebbles into his canoe as it would hold and pushed off into the lake. He kept thinking, “What if, instead of going back home through the lake I will sail onto the great river from the sky?” Tama Rereti sailed towards the river and guided his canoe carefully into the entrance just as the sun slipped below the horizon and darkness descended on the Earth. The current of the river was strong and the canoe moved along at a steady pace.

As the waka entered the sky, Tama Rereti began to scatter the luminescent stones and pebbles in all directions as he went along. The wake of the canoe became the Milky Way and the stones and pebbles became its stars.

This is the reason why we have stars in the sky, they say.

By the time Tama Rereti had thrown out all the stones and pebbles he had sailed right across the sky and was able to see his village in the first light of dawn.

He was very tired so he beached his canoe and tied the anchor rope to a large tree stump. Having secured his canoe Tama Rereti walked slowly to his whare and just as the Sun rose above the hills in the East he clambered through the door and lay down on his sleeping mats exhausted. In just the twinkling of an eye Tama Rereti was sound asleep.

Tama Rereti slept soundly for many hours. When he awoke in the middle of the afternoon he found Ranginui, the sky-father, sitting outside the whare waiting for him. At first Tama Rereti was afraid that Ranginui would be angry with him for littering the sky with thousands of pebbles. Much to the surprise of Tama Rereti, Ranginui was very pleased with the new appearance of the night sky.

For the first time there was enough light at night to enable people to see what they were doing and allow them to move around safely. Best of all, Ranginui was delighted with the beauty of the night sky.

So that people in the future would remember how the stars were placed in the sky and how the sky was made beautiful at night, Ranginui asked Tama Rereti if he would allow his canoe to be permanently anchored among the stars. Together that evening they chose the place in the sky where the wake of the canoe is at its brightest, and there the great canoe of Tama Rereti floats peacefully to this day.

The canoe of Tama Rereti sets sail in November from Aotearoa signaling to Māori navigators that it was time to start planning their journeys back to Rarohenga. Rarohenga is the rohe (domain) beyond the Sun, Ra, the Māori name for places they cannot see beyond the curvature of Earth.

Also read:

How to find Te Waka O Tamarereti

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As the waka entered the sky, Tama Rereti began to scatter the luminescent stones and pebbles in all directions as he went along. The wake of the canoe became the Milky Way and the stones and pebbles became its stars. This is why we have stars in the sky.

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Shaula, also known as Lambda Scorpii, is actually a triple system. The largest star, which has a blue-white color, is about nine times the sun's diameter and 14 times the sun's mass. It is a Beta Cephei variable star, a class of stars characterized by rapid but small variations in brightness.

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The star Shaula, known to Māori as Potiki. Potiki is the zenith star for Aotearoa, and was used by navigators to reach Aotearoa. (Zenith means directly overhead when you reach the right latitude.)

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The rising of Matariki in the morning sky is observed in the month of Pipiri (around June and July) Māori waits until the lunar phase of Tangaroa (The last quarter phase of the moon) to celebrate its rising with a ceremony called "whāngai i te hau tapu". This ceremony has 3 parts.

Te Tirohanga - The viewing
The appearance of Matariki was carefully observed by tohunga (Kōkōrangi- astronomers/scientists)  and the brightness of the different stars in the cluster, along with their movement and clarity would determine the bounty of the impending season.

Whanake mai ngā mata o te ariki
Whanake mai te tohu o te tau
Whanake mai Matariki hunga nui
Arise the eyes of the god
Arise the signs of the year
Arise Matariki who gathers the masses! (Chris)

Te Whakamahara i ngā mate - Remembering the dead
The names of those who had died since the last rising of Matariki were called out in the presence of the star cluster. Matariki cares for those that die throughout the year, and when it rises again the spirits of those who passed become stars in the sky. Māori would mourn at this moment, and their tears and wailing would send their loved ones into the heavens to become stars.
E tu Pōhutukawa
Te kaikawe i ngā mate o te tau
Haere rā koutou ki te uma o Ranginui
Hei whetū i te kete nui a Tane
Koia rā! Kua whetūrangitia koutou kei
aku rau kahu rangi e

Behold Pōhutukawa
Who carries the dead of the year
Onward the departed to the chest of the sky
To become a star in the Milky Way (Helena)

Te Whāngai i ngā whetū - Feeding the stars

Before the rising of Matariki special food is taken from the gardens, forests, rivers and ocean and is cooked in an umu. This oven is uncovered and the steam of the food rises into the sky to feed Matariki.

E tū Tupuānuku
E tū Tupuarangi
Ka matomato ki raro
Ka pōkai tara ki runga

Behold Tupuanuku
Behold Tupuarangi
Let the earth be lush
Let the sky be full of birds (Da)

E tū Waitī
E tū Waitā
Te tini a Tangaroa
Te mano a Hinemoana e

Behold Waitī
Behold Waitā
The abundance of the ocean
The plenty of the waterways (Ria)

E tū Wai puna rangi
E tū Uru rangi
He ua kōpatapata
He hau miri i te whenua  e (Annie)

Behold Waipunaraangi
BeholdUrurangi
Give us rain
Give us wind

E tū Hiwa-i-te-rangi
Te kauwaka o te manako nui
Anei ngā tōmina o te ngākau
Hei whakatinanatanga mau  (Irirangi)

Behold Hiwa-i-te-rangi
The medium of my desires
You know what I yearn for
Make my dreams come true

Matariki atua ka eke ki runga
Nau mai ngā hui
Nau mai ngā taonga
Nau mai te Mātahi o te tau  e (Oriwa)

Matariki has risen
Welcome the fruits of the year
Welcome the many treasures
Welcome the New Year

Tūturu whakamaua kia tina! Tina!
Haumi e
Hui e
Taiki e  (All)

Waiata

This ceremony is generally called hautapu and this practice is guided by a tohunga. Once this ceremony is complete the celebrations can happen.

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He waiata Matariki - cover by Daniel&Ashley

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Matariki is the Māori name for the cluster of stars, that rises in midwinter and for many Māori, heralds the start of the new year.

For the first time in Aotearoa, it will officially be celebrated as a public holiday on the 24th of June 2022.

It is an opportunity for all people of Aotearoa to come together and reflect on the year that has passed, celebrate the present, and plan for the future.

If you'd like to get involved take a look at the resources below.

Rauemi

Resources

Download the resources to support and share in the Matariki celebrations.

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Matariki is the Māori name for the cluster of stars, that rises in midwinter and for many Māori, heralds the start of the new year. For the first time in Aotearoa, it will officially be celebrated as a public holiday on the 24th of June 2022.

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Whero Tāmure fried with a better beer batter: (Waitā )

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Whero Tāmure fried with a better beer batter: (Waitā )

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1 cup S.R. flour
2 tbsp soya bean oil
Fresh ground white peppercorns
Red snapper fillets
1 cup best batter beer 🤣 ( David’s home brew )
Cheese
1 egg
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp paprika
Tomato
Parsley
Lemon

Method:
Sift flour, salt paprika, pinch of pepper, into a bowl.  Add egg yolk save the white and says bean oil.  Stir into flour and gradually add bbb ( best batter beer 🍺) stirring until the batter is free of lumps. Over beating will cause the mixture to blister in the hot fat.
Beat the egg white until firm and it stands up in peaks.  Fold into batter mixture. Dip fish pieces in and deep fry in hot fat or oil until golden brown.
Serve with lotus shaped tomato pieces and cheese, parsley and lemon wedges.
The beer gives this batter a tasty, spicy and aromatic flavour, moorish and quite different from the ordinary.

Māori Cook Book 1980s.

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2 cups Kakahi
2 dsstspn Worcester sauce
2 dsstspn brown sugar
Dash of cayenne pepper
2 large onions
2 dsstspn vinegar
1 cup grated carrot

Method:
Boil kakahi until well cooked and strain, using the juice for the soup.  Fry onions in peanut oil until light and transparent.  Add the onions, and all the ingredients to the soup and bring to the boil.  Thicken lightly with cornflour, add chopped parsley and serve.  ( Paua or pipi can be used instead. )

Māori Cook Book 1980s

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Dave's Minestrone Soup

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Dave's Kitchen

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I wish to plant three native trees this year  to remember
Uncle Alan Cameron, Carol Thompson and Skip Arapere.
Ka whakatō ahai kia toru ngā rakau.
I will pick up litter in the environment where ever I can.
Ka kohi ahau i te para.

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Rehua is the husband of Matariki.

Rehua is an extremely sacred Maori God who possesses the power to cure blindness, revive the dead, and heal any disease. He has also been called the Lord of Kindness who can eliminate sorrow and gloom in the hearts and minds of men.

A Ngāi Tahu legend from the South Island speaks of Rehua as the eldest son of Rangi and Papa, who first manifested as lightning, but assumed human shape when he travelled into the skies. Later his brother Tāne went to pay him a visit, Rehua had birds in his hair, feeding on his lice. Rehua had his servants cook and prepare the birds as a meal for Tāne, who was shocked and declined to eat them because the birds had eaten the lice from Rehua's head, which was extremely tapu (sacred). However, Rehua gave him birds to bring down to this world and showed him how to snare them. Tāne also brought with him the fruit trees that the birds fed on, and so it is that there are forests and birds on the earth.

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How to Make Harakeke (Flax) Star

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The origins of the tukutuku panels mapped the constellations in the wharekura Huiterangiora. (The whare of learning in the underworld.)  Our Kōkōrangi (astronomers)  mapped 161 constellations according to the seasons and time, as opposed to the 12 constellations in the zodiac.
The Matariki design symbolises the tukutuku design of Matariki from the wharenui Huiterangaiora.

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Ngā Mata o te Marama Explanation

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Marama Kūtia - Luna Eclipse (November 2021)

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Marama Kūtia - Luna Eclipse (November 2021)

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1. Pipiri - twin star found in Aries
Ruhanui - 2nd star (twin of Pipiri) indicates 13th mth.
2. Takurua - Sirius
3. Te toru here pipiri - Zeta Percusses
4. Mahuru - Hydra (Pipiwharoroa short tail cuckoo arrives from the Islands)
5. Kopu - Venus
6. Whiti-a-naunau - Hine nui te pō in Leo
7. Hakihea - rises above the sun
8. Rehua - Antares
9. Ruhī - one of Rehua's wife
10. Te Ngahuru o te Po tū te rangi (Koekoeā long tail cuckoo leaves NZ)

Rigel in Orion is Puanga - Taranaki and West Coast new year.
Te Tau Toru Nui - Orion's belt

Te Mangoroa - milky way
Mahutonga - southern cross (Names of the four stars - Imal, Acrux, Mimosa and Gacrux).

Māori have a few names for Scorpius:
Rehua found in Scorpius - Antares red star, two wives on either side.
Manaia ki te Rangi in April, May and June
Te Matau a Māui in July, August and September and the prow of the waka of Tamarereti in October and November.
Te waka o Tamareti

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(Image credit: Starry Night)

This week, the grandest and most spectacular of all constellations can be found due south and standing upright around 7 p.m. local time, and dominating our winter skies like - to use the words of astronomer Robert H, Baker - "a gigantic piece of jewelry."

It's the "great hunter" or "celestial warrior," Orion, the most brilliant of the constellations and visible from every inhabited part of the Earth. As is also the case with the mighty Hercules, the figure of Orion has been associated in virtually all ancient cultures with great national heroes, warriors or demigods. Yet, in contrast to Hercules, who was credited with a detailed series of exploits, Orion seems to us a vague and shadowy figure. The ancient mythological stories of Orion are so many and so confused that it is almost impossible to choose among all of them.

Even the origin of the name Orion is obscure, though some scholars have suggested a connection with the Greek "Arion," meaning "warrior." All, however, agree that he was the mightiest hunter in the world, and he is always pictured in the stars with his club upraised in his right hand. Hanging from his upraised left hand is the skin of a great lion he has killed and which he is brandishing in the face of Taurus, the bull, who is charging down upon him.

Related: Exploring Orion's wonders using mobile astronomy apps

Shining down upon us through the frosty air all winter long, three bright stars in a diagonal line in the middle of a bright rectangle decorate Orion's belt, which points northward to the star clusters of the Hyades and Pleiades in Taurus, and southward to the brightest of all stars, the "Dog Star" Sirius.

Polar opposites

Within Orion we find two immense stars, Rigel and Betelgeuse, apparently at diametrically opposite periods in a star's existence. In Rigel (the "left leg of the giant"), we find a star apparently reaching the prime of its life. It is the seventh-brightest star in our sky and is a true supergiant: a blazing blue-hot star of intense brilliance and dazzling beauty, one of the rarest breeds in our galaxy.

Located 863 light-years away, Rigel's computed luminosity is an incredible 120,000 times the brightness of our sun. Its surface temperature is also far hotter than the sun, around 21,000 degrees Fahrenheit (11,600 degrees Celsius). Compare that to 10,000 degrees F (5,500 degrees C) for the sun. In terms of overall size, Rigel measures 79 times the diameter of the sun. And yet, it's only 21 times more massive.

(Image credit: SkySafari app)

In stark contrast, Betelgeuse (the "armpit" of the giant), shines with a cool, dull ruddy hue and is located 548 light-years away, though there is an uncertainty of as much as 100 light-years with this figure. Like Rigel, Betelgeuse's luminosity far exceeds that of our sun. It is an irregular pulsating supergiant star, nearing the end of its life and as such it expands and contracts spasmodically. Incredibly, its diameter can vary between 550 to 920 times the diameter of our sun, meaning that at its maximum size, were it placed at the center of our solar system, it would engulf the planets Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars and Jupiter.

In trying to describe Betelgeuse some three-quarters of a century ago, Henry Neeley, a long-time lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium noted that it is "like an old man with his strength almost entirely spent, panting in the asthmatic decrepitude of old age."

An unexpected eclipse

Betelgeuse was much in the news at this time last year, because it was undergoing an unusual dimming. Because of its irregular pulsations, it was well known that Betelgeuse could appear to noticeably brighten and fade over time. But a year ago, it had diminished to magnitude +1.6. Normally the tenth-brightest star in the sky, within a matter of just a few months Betelgeuse had fallen to the rank of a second-magnitude star (if rounded off to the nearest whole magnitude).

There was much speculation that this anomalous dimming was a sign that the star might be preparing to end its life as a supernova. But by the spring of 2020, the star had once again reverted back to its "normal" brightness of magnitude +0.4. It has since faded somewhat again, though nothing to compare to the drastic fade down of a year ago.

Gesundheit!

So, what was the reason for the "Betelgeuse brownout?"

On Aug. 13, 2020, the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics released a statement attributing the fade-down of Betelgeuse as a "stellar sneeze." The star's fade-down was "most likely caused by the ejection and cooling of dense hot gases, and that the star may be going through another dimming period more than a year early," according to the statement.

The gas and dust that was blown away after the "big sneeze" eventually condensed into a dark cloud. That cloud blocked a part of the star's face as seen from the perspective of Earth and thus caused the star to appear to dim. Some residual gas and dust may have since condensed into a smaller cloud which may be resulting in another round of apparent dimming of Betelgeuse at the present time.

Bang!

Stars produce their energy by fusing hydrogen into helium deep within their cores. When a star accumulates sufficient helium in its core, its energy output increases significantly, and it swells into a red giant or supergiant, like Betelgeuse. This is what Rigel will become in a few million years.

In such stars, the core produces successively heavier elements to balance the incessant crush of gravity. But once the core begins creating iron, a star's days are numbered; the formation of elements heavier than iron consumes rather than produces energy. Eventually, since the core can no longer support the star's vast weight it collapses, triggering a cataclysmic supernova explosion. Betelgeuse is in its final stage and could explode within the next 100,000 years.
Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for Natural History magazine, the Farmers' Almanac and other publications. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.

SPACE.COM SKYWATCHING COLUMNIST - Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for Natural History magazine, the Farmers' Almanac and other publications, and he is also an on-camera meteorologist for Verizon FiOS1 News in New York's lower Hudson Valley.

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Betelgeuse and Rigel: A tale of the two brightest stars in Orion

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This week, the grandest and most spectacular of all constellations can be found due south and standing upright around 7 p.m. local time, and dominating our winter skies like - to use the words of astronomer Robert H, Baker - "a gigantic piece of jewelry."

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Manaakitia tēnei wā ako tahi me ō tātou whānau ano te rangimarie o te ao. Amine.
Dear God
Bless this learning time together and our families and world peace.

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Tupuārangi - he tane. Tupuānuku - he wahine.  Ko Tupuārangi te tungāne o Tupuānuku. Ko Tupuānuku te tuāhine o Tupuārangi.  He whānau o Matariki.

Tupuārangi is connected to kai and growth that comes form the sky and heavens. He connects us to the harvesting of birds - particularly the kereru at this time,  and the fruits and berries from the trees.
Tupuānuku is connected  to the kai grown in the ground. She is connected to all cultivated and uncultivated food products. All harvesting of the gardens needs to be completed in May ready for winter.

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Hiwa -i-te-rangi.   Send up your best and brightest hopes for yourself, your loved ones and our planet. 

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Hiwa -i-te-rangi.   Send up your best and brightest hopes for yourself, your loved ones and our planet. 

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Hiwa-i-te-rangi is the final star in the cluster and is connected to the promise of a prosperous season. Hiwa-i-te-rangi is the youngest in the Matariki whānau. The word hiwa means vigorous growth, and it is to Hiwa that we send our dreams and desires for the year in the hope that they will be realised. But while we can hope for things about ourselves it is also a time to think about others and our natural world.

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Me mātau ki te whetū, i mua i te kōkiri o te haere

Waipunarangi - tōuarangi
symbolises the relationship water (Rain ua)  has to our life cycle

Ururangi - Hiwa i te rangi
Winds of sky
Māori would send their dreams and desires for the year.

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He pārongo te whetu ko waitī ko waitā.

WAITĪ : Waitī ki runga. Waitī ki raro, e rere nei ō wai hei manapou mō te whenua,hei oranga mō te tangata, hei kete mā te iwi. Kōriporipo tonu nei te ia o te awa, māreparepa ana ngā roto, kōrengarenga te Puna a Tāne-te-waiora, he koira!

Waitī is connected with all fresh water bodies and the food sources that are sustained by those waters.

WAITĀ : Tērā te marae nui a Kiwa te kānapanapa nei i raro i a koe Waitā. Hīia mai rā ki runga te tini a Ikatere, rukuhia ki tai, Kohia ki tātahi hei kai mā te tini o uta. Ka hiki mata te tapuwae a Tangaroa! Koia au nui, Koia au toa, Koia moana tuarangaranga Koia moana i āio.

Waitā is associated with the ocean, and food sources within it.

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Ko Pōhutukawa te matamua o te whanau Matariki. Pōhutukawa is connected to the dead, and in particular those who have passed on from the world since the last heliacal rising of matariki in the month of Pipiri. Pohutukawa is the whetu that connects Matariki to the deceased and it is the reason why people cry out the names of the dead and weep when Matariki was seen rising in the early morning.

He korero maumahara mo toku whaea Ko Ria te Uira.

Mum always believed all life came from the stars and often manifested this thinking  in the creative pathways she pursued long into the night. Mum also covered everything with glitter long before bling came into fashion and would talk about it as if it were stardust. If you happened upon our mum during these intensely creative times and the night sky was clear, she would invite you to come and look at the stars with her and she would teach, tell stories and just be amazed by the heavens.
Mum's passing was so very sad and I still feel the shock of it at times. The night before she died she was very hopeful that she would return home soon and was looking forward to getting some help to clean away the dust and finally get a much needed rest from a life of vacuuming.  She bid me good night and said she was looking forward to seeing the stars out her hospital window. The next evening mum passed away and I remember crying through the night until I finally fell asleep. In my sleep mum's voice came to me and she said thank you for staying with her.  Mum always thanked people she never forgot.
That first year was hard on us all and I know we looked for mum everywhere. Annie and I both talked about it and wished she would come back to see us in some way.
In the depth of Winter and in a long dream, mum came to me. I was so happy to see her, I sat at her feet and held onto her legs. I had so much to tell her. She listened and when I had finished  she showed me a bright star way up in the sky and  told me that she was going there now... I didn't see her go. What remains with me is the star. I can still see it in my mind today and every time I think of her.

Even though the narrative of Pōhutukawa is new to me, I have always known it. I was told it by the STAR LADY herself. Our own Pōhutukawa who is up there in the night sky creating wonderous things from an endless supply of star dust.

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Matariki is a cluster of stars which appears in the night sky during mid-winter according to the maramataka the reappearance of Matariki brings the old lunar year to a close and marks the beginning of a new year.

Ka puta Matariki Ka rere whanui ko te tohu tena o te tau e
Matariki reappears, vega starts its flight the new year begins

Matariki is a time to reflect on the past year celebrate the present and plan for the year ahead the twinkling of the Matariki stars in the pre-dawn sky, is a special celebration for all people of Aotearoa to come together to remember tupuna share kai, sing, tell stories, Matariki is the centre star which represents well being and health.

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Dr Rangi Matamua explains when the Matariki public holiday will be celebrated

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Pepe tuna The stars that mark the appearance of the pepe tuna or the pūriri moth are now in the morning sky.  (October)

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Pepe tuna The stars that mark the appearance of the pepe tuna or the pūriri moth are now in the morning sky.  (October)

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Pipiri is a twin star. Ruhanui is the 2nd star (twin of Pipiri) and indicates the 13th month. Pipiri is found in the constellation of Aries.

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7th Month  - Hakihea - New Year (Pākehā)

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7th Month  - Hakihea - New Year (Pākehā)

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5th Month  - Te Rima a Kopu (Whiringa-ā-Nuku)

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5th Month  - Te Rima a Kopu (Whiringa-ā-Nuku)

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Potūterangi - 10th Month of the Māori Year 

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Potūterangi - 10th Month of the Māori Year 

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Whakataukī - Ko tātai arorangi he kaiarataki te rā

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Whakataukī - Ko tātai arorangi he kaiarataki te rā

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"Our mission is to connect people to the stars through the practices of indigenous astronomical knowledge, that empowers communities, reaffirms identity and revitalizes the past for the future"

PROFESSOR RANGI MATAMUA

Professor Rangi Matamua, of Tūhoe, is a senior academic at the University of Waikato NZ. He travels throughout the country giving public lectures about Matariki and Māori Astronomy to a number of eager audiences. He is also a star gazer by night, reading, watching and translating the messages left to us that are written in the night sky.

Professor Matamua holds extensive knowledge about our skies, star clusters, galaxies and planets. He is a fifth generation Māori astronomer on a mission to disseminate star lore left to him by his tīpuna Te Kōkau & Rāwiri Te Kōkau.

He is the author of the critically acclaimed book, Matariki that was released in 2017 and represents an authentic Māori view and understanding of the star cluster.

Join Professor Rangi Matamua as he shares with us extensive knowledge around Māori astronomy and how we can all Live by The Stars.

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Pause slideshow Play slideshow Previous slide Next slide "Our mission is to connect people to the stars through the practices of indigenous astronomical knowledge, that empowers communities, reaffirms identity and revitalizes the past for the future" PROFESSOR RANGI MATAMUA Professor Rangi Matamua, of Tūhoe, is a senior academic at the University of Waikato NZ.

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Living by The Stars with Professor Rangi Matamua

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1. Takiri ake ngā haeata

2. o te rā

3. ki te whenua

4. i te rāwhiti

5. ka awatea.

6. Ka hauku a Papatūānuku,

7. Ka ngaru e te whenua

8. Ko Ranginui e tū iho nei

9. Ko Papatūānuku e takoto ake nei

Tuturu whakamaua kia tina. Tina!

Haumi e! Hui e! Tāiki e!

As the sun's rays unfurl

encompassing the land

Tis dawn

Tis the dew of Mother Earth

that spreads across the land

Tis Sky Father

and Earth Mother we acknowledge

Come together

Bind it! Join it! Unite it!

we acknowledge

Tis E

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Matariki returns in a few weeks.
The significance of Matariki.

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Living by The Stars with Professor Rangi Matamua

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1. Kua poto te rā

2. Kua roa te pō

3. Kua māeke te whenua

4. Kua rere kē te manu

5. Kua heke iho ngā rau

6. Kua moe te whenua

7. Kua hōtoke te ao

8. Ka ao, ka ao, ka hōtoke

9. Haumi e! Hui e! Tāiki e!

Short tis the day

Long is the night

Chilled is the land

Flown have the birds

Falleth has the leaves

Sleepeth the land does

Tis the time of cold

Tis light, tis light, tis winter

Bind it! Join it! Unite it!

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Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, NZ

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Skip to main content

Educator Martin Langdon shows us how to find the Matariki star cluster during the Māori New Year, which falls in the month of Pipiri (June-July).

Transcript

"Kia ora koutou. I'm going to show you how to find Matariki by using stars and constellations to help you point the way.

In the month of Pipiri, which is June - July, the star cluster Matariki rises in the Northeast, which is used to signify the coming of the Māori New Year.

We are going to start here with Māhutonga, which is also known as the Southern Cross, found on lots of things like our flag.

During the time of Matariki, you will find Māhutonga upside down to look more like an anchor.

We're going...

Expand English text

Transcript

"Kia ora koutou. I'm going to show you how to find Matariki by using stars and constellations to help you point the way.

In the month of Pipiri, which is June - July, the star cluster Matariki rises in the Northeast, which is used to signify the coming of the Māori New Year.

We are going to start here with Māhutonga, which is also known as the Southern Cross, found on lots of things like our flag.

During the time of Matariki, you will find Māhutonga upside down to look more like an anchor.

We're going to track east from this constellation along our journey to find Matariki.

As we track along, we should find the brightest star in our sky Hinetakurua, also known as The Winter Maiden.

As we continue in the same direction we will come across three bright stars in a row known as Tautoru.

Some people see the bottom of a pot, others see Orion's belt, but we are going to imagine a bird perch or a paemanu, from which a bird is reaching up to pluck a significant star - puanga or puaka.

The star puanga is used by some iwi iwi tribes to indicate the coming of the new year, instead of the star cluster Matariki.

To find Matariki, we're going to use Tautoru to point us towards the direction we need to go, until we get to Matakāheru - a triangle-shaped constellation which is linked to a triangle-shaped tainui spade of the same name.

Now just off its shoulder, we will see a bright cluster of stars, this is Matariki. With a telescope we would be able to see hundreds of stars that make up the star cluster, but with the naked eye we can just point out about seven to nine of the brightest
stars.

This is what we know in Aotearoa Aotearoa New Zealand as Matariki."

Close English text

Kia ora koutou.

Tēnei ka whakaatu atu mā te tātai i ngā whetū me pēhea e kitea ai i a Matariki.

I ngā mārama o Pipiri o Hōngongoi, tērā ko Matariki ka mahuta ake ki te raki-mā-rāwhiti, hei tohu i te tau hou.

Ka tīmata mai tātou i a Māhutonga, ā, ka kitea hoki ia i runga i tō tātou haki.

I te wā o Matariki, ka kitea a Māhutonga kua huripokina kia rite ki tētahi haika.

Mai i tēnei kāhui whetū ka haere whakaterāwhiti ki te rapu i a Matariki.

Ka haere ka haere, tērā tātou ka kitea te whetū rangatira i te rangi, a...

Expand te reo Māori text

Kia ora koutou.

Tēnei ka whakaatu atu mā te tātai i ngā whetū me pēhea e kitea ai i a Matariki.

I ngā mārama o Pipiri o Hōngongoi, tērā ko Matariki ka mahuta ake ki te raki-mā-rāwhiti, hei tohu i te tau hou.

Ka tīmata mai tātou i a Māhutonga, ā, ka kitea hoki ia i runga i tō tātou haki.

I te wā o Matariki, ka kitea a Māhutonga kua huripokina kia rite ki tētahi haika.

Mai i tēnei kāhui whetū ka haere whakaterāwhiti ki te rapu i a Matariki.

Ka haere ka haere, tērā tātou ka kitea te whetū rangatira i te rangi, a Hinetakurua.

Ka haere ā, ka tae atu tātou ki ngā whetū kanapu e toru e rārangi mai rā, arā, a Tautoru.

Ko te takere o tētahi kōhua te kitenga a ētahi, ko Te Kakau a Māui ki ētahi atu, engari ko tā tātou ka whakaarohia he paemanu, anō he manu e toro atu ana ki te kato whetū tāpua mai - ko Puanga, ko Puaka rānei.

Ki ētahi iwi ko Puanga te ariki o mātahi o te tau hou, kaua ko te kāhui o Matariki.

Tērā tātou ka whai i a Tautoru māna tātou e tohu haere, kia tae rā anō ki a Te Matakāheru - he kāhui whetū tapatoru nei te āhua.

Na, kei tōna kikopuku, ka kitea e tātou te kāhui whetū kanapa.

Ko Matariki tēnei. Mā te karu whakarahi ka kitea e tātou te tini o ngā whetū kua huia mai ki te kāhui whetū, engari e whitu e iwa rānei ngā whetū rangatira anake e taea e te karu tangata te kite atu.

Koinei tā tātou o Aotearoa e mōhiotia nei ko Matariki.

Close te reo Māori text

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Matariki activity book

Matariki activity book

Learn about Matariki through fun kids' activities. Featuring word searches, colouring pages, games, and stories, discover what's important during Matariki.

Education resource

Matariki star facts

Matariki star facts

Get the facts about Matariki - a star cluster known worldwide and treasured in Aotearoa New Zealand.

What is Matariki?

What is Matariki?

Matariki signals the Māori New Year. It is a time of renewal and celebration in New Zealand that begins with the rising of the Matariki star cluster (the Pleiades or Seven Sisters).

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Watch: How to find the Matariki star cluster

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Skip to main content Educator Martin Langdon shows us how to find the Matariki star cluster during the Māori New Year, which falls in the month of Pipiri (June-July). "Kia ora koutou. I'm going to show you how to find Matariki by using stars and constellations to help you point the way.

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Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, NZ

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Get the facts about Matariki - a star cluster known worldwide and treasured in Aotearoa New Zealand.

1. The reappearance of the Matariki stars signals the beginning of the Māori New Year.

However, not all celebrate at the same time. Some may begin festivities on the first full moon after the star cluster rises, or on the next new moon.

2. Matariki is a star cluster, not a constellation.

A cluster is a group of stars that are near each other in space. When seen from Earth, the stars in a constellation appear to be close together in a pattern, but they might actually be far from each other. There are about 500 stars in the Matariki cluster, but only six or seven are visible without a telescope.
The Matariki star cluster - are there seven or nine stars?
3. You can see Matariki for yourself.

From early June, before sunrise, look to the north-east horizon. Find the constellation Tautoru, or Orion's belt (sometimes called 'the pot'). Trace a line northwards from the three stars of Tautoru. Look for a faint sparkle of tiny dots, about the same width as Tautoru is long. This is the Matariki star cluster. Matariki can also be seen during the summer months in this location of the sky after sunset.
Watch a video on how to find Matariki
4. Matariki is one of the star clusters nearest to Earth.

Compared with other star clusters, Matariki is close to Earth - but it's still 440 light years away. If you drove there in a car at a speed of 100 kilometres an hour, you would arrive in 4.8 billion years!

5. Matariki has many different names around the world.

The star cluster is visible to the naked eye from most parts of our planet, and has many different names. In English, it is called the Pleiades (its ancient Greek name) or the Seven Sisters. The Hawaiian name is Makali'i, or 'eyes of royalty', and in Japan it is Subaru, meaning 'gathered together'.

6. Some iwi use Puanga (Rigel in the constellation Orion) as a signal for the new year.

Matariki's reappearance in the north-east sky is not visible in all parts of New Zealand, especially in areas to the west of mountains. For some iwi in Taranaki and Whanganui, and on the West Coast of the South Island, the new year begins with the rising of Puanga.
Learn about the difference between Matariki and Puanga
Astronomers explain Puanga and Matarik i

7. In the past, looked to Matariki to predict if the next harvest would be abundant.

The brighter and clearer the stars seemed, the warmer the growing season would be, ensuring a good harvest.

8. Many iwi speak of the Matariki stars as a mother and her daughters.

The mother is Matariki, and her daughters are Tupu-ā-nuku, Tupu-ā-rangi, Waipunarangi, Waitī, Waitā, and Ururangi.
Find out more about the names of the stars - the six sisters
9. For some iwi, Matariki is connected to the creation story of Ranginui and Papatūānuku.

One Matariki story is about when discovered that his parents and ad been separated. He tore out his eyes in anger and threw them into the sky - the stars are his seven eyes.

10. Matariki was used by the crews of voyaging to guide them across the Pacific.

Tohunga kōkōrangi Tohunga kōkōrangi expert astronomers used stars and star clusters such as Matariki to help them navigate great distances across the Pacific. Today, there is a revival of these traditional navigation skills. Crews have sailed double-hulled waka from as far as Rarotonga to Aotearoa New Zealand, guided only by traditional methods.

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Matariki activity book

Matariki activity book

Learn about Matariki through fun kids' activities. Featuring word searches, colouring pages, games, and stories, discover what's important during Matariki - whetū, the Maramataka, kōrero, kai, whenua, and whānau. Available in English and te reo Māori.

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Quiz: How much do you know about Matariki and the Maramataka?

Quiz: How much do you know about Matariki and the Maramataka?

Have a read through our online Matariki and Maramataka information before testing your knowledge on the Māori New Year and traditional lunar calendar.

The legend of Matariki and the six sisters

The legend of Matariki and the six sisters

There are many legends about the star cluster Matariki. One of the most popular is that the star Matariki is the whaea (mother), surrounded by her six daughters, Tupu-ā-nuku, Tupu-ā-rangi, Waipunarangi, Waitī and Waitā, and Ururangi.

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Skip to main content Get the facts about Matariki - a star cluster known worldwide and treasured in Aotearoa New Zealand. However, not all celebrate at the same time. Some may begin festivities on the first full moon after the star cluster rises, or on the next new moon.

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Māori named Rigel as Puanga, said to be a daughter of Rehua (Antares), the chief of all-stars.  The Moriori people of the Chatham Islands, as well as some Maori groups in New Zealand, mark the start of their New Year with Rigel rather than the Pleiades (Matariki). Puaka is a southern name variant used in the South Island.
Wiki 2022

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Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, NZ

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Some iwi tribes Māori | Matariki Māori New Year and the Pleiades star cluster Māori |

Matariki Name . Che Wilson of Whanganui iwi explains why this is the case, and which iwi celebrate Puanga.
iwi Noun celebrate Puanga rather than

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Ki tā ētehi, ehara a Matariki i te tohu o te tau, ko Puanga kē. Anei ētehi whakamārama nā Che Wilson o Whanganui iwi mō ngā iwi e whai i ngā tohutohu o Puanga.

Ko Puanga te pae ārahi i ngā tohu o te tau hou i te pae ururangi Puanga leads the celestial signs to herald the New Year
Expand English text

Ko Puanga te pae ārahi i ngā tohu o te tau hou i te pae ururangi Puanga leads the celestial signs to herald the New Year
Why do some iwi look for Puanga?

Puanga is given prominence mainly because some iwi struggle to see Matariki clearly from their locality and therefore look to the next important star near Matariki. That star is Puanga.

This is not a rejection of Matariki as many of these iwi will still refer to Matariki and the other names in the constellation in their tribal narratives - however, Puanga is given preference.

Which iwi celebrate Puanga?

The tribes of Whanganui, Taranaki, parts of the Far North, and parts of the South Island recognise Puanga.

What is Puanga?

Puanga is the star Rigel and is the brightest star in the Orion constellation. Matariki is seen below Puanga and to the left of Tautoru (the three stars of Orion's Belt) in the late autumn and early winter night sky.
Puanga kai rau The abundant harvest of Puanga
This whakataukī connects Puanga and Matariki celebrations to the result of hard work over a number of months. It recognises the efforts of growing, harvesting, and storing food for the long nights of as returns to his first wife .

When is Puanga celebrated?

The first new moon in the month of is the period when stars like Puanga, Matariki, and set. This time is a chance to reflect on the past year and to remember your loved ones.

Puanga and Matariki then rise again in a fortnight in the eastern sky. This is the time to acknowledge the rising of our loved ones that have passed so that their spirits become stars, and to prepare for the celebrations of the New Year.

The appropriate time to commence celebrations is based on the nights of abundance for your locality, and some will recognise the nights of and others the nights of Tangaroa - one week after full moon. This is to ensure that any food available is in abundance so that the dedicated and celebrated in the name of Puanga is recognised appropriately.

The connection between the kererū and Puanga

The stomach of the kererū were also fed to expecting mothers to help quell any food cravings and to ensure that mother and unborn child were given the most nutritious foods.

Puanga and gardening activities

This time is likened to, and re-enacts, the creation period of Te Kore (the void/potential) and once the land has been treated, it will then go through a period of Te Pō (the night - or a time to plant). Then as the shoots of the food sprout above the soil, the plants transition into Te Ao Mārama (the world of light).

Like Matariki, Puanga is a time of reflection, preparation, learning, and celebration.

Close English text

Ko Puanga te pae ārahi i ngā tohu o te tau i te pae ururangi
Kua rangona nuitia ngā marama o Hune me te Hūrae ki te whakanui i te tau hou Māori. Heoi, ki tā ētehi iwi ehara a Matariki i te tohu o te tau, ko Puanga kē te tohu o te tau.

Nā te aha i pēnei ai te mana o Puanga?

Ki tā ētehi iwi, ka whai mana ake a Puanga i a Matariki i te mea tē taea te kite i te kāhui Matariki i aua takiwā. Nā tēnā, ka kimi i tētehi atu whetū matua kei taua wāhi i te rangi, koia ko Puanga.

Ehara i te mea ka whakakore i te mana o...

Expand te reo Māori text

Ko Puanga te pae ārahi i ngā tohu o te tau i te pae ururangi
Kua rangona nuitia ngā marama o Hune me te Hūrae ki te whakanui i te tau hou Māori. Heoi, ki tā ētehi iwi ehara a Matariki i te tohu o te tau, ko Puanga kē te tohu o te tau.

Nā te aha i pēnei ai te mana o Puanga?

Ki tā ētehi iwi, ka whai mana ake a Puanga i a Matariki i te mea tē taea te kite i te kāhui Matariki i aua takiwā. Nā tēnā, ka kimi i tētehi atu whetū matua kei taua wāhi i te rangi, koia ko Puanga.

Ehara i te mea ka whakakore i te mana o Matariki nā te mea ka kōrero tonu mō taua kāhui engari ka noho a Puanga hei tohu mō te tau hou Māori ki aua takiwā.

Ko wai ngā iwi ka whai i ngā tohutohu o Puanga?

Ko ngā iwi o Whanganui, o Taranaki, ngā wāhanga o te Taitokerau me te Wai Pounamu hoki e whai ana i ngā tohutohu o Puanga.

Ko wai a Puanga?

Ko te ingoa Pākehā mō Puanga, ko Rigel. Koia tētehi o te kāhui o Orion. A, hei ngā pō o te Ngāhuru, ko Puanga kei runga ake o Tautoru (ko ngā whetū e toru o te tātua o Orion), a, ko Matariki kei te taha uru o Tautoru.

Ko te whakataukī rongonui e hāngai ana ki te mana o Puanga, koia ko:
Puanga kai rau - arā ko nga hua matomato o Puanga
E hono kau ana tēnei tū kōrero ki a Puanga rāua tahi ko Matariki me ngā mahi hauhake māra kai, kohikohi kai hoki i ngā marama mō mua tonu i te tau hou. A, e anga atu ana te whakaaro ki ngā pō roa o te Takurua me te hokinga o Tamanuiterā ki tōna punatahi (wahine tuatahi) ki a Hinetakurua.

Ko te tūturutanga o tēnei tū hononga, arā ka poto ngā rā, ka roa hoki ngā pō hei tohu kua tau mai te makariri me ngā āhuatanga o te Takurua. Heoi, ia tau ka hoki anō a Māui ki te hopu i a Tamanuiterā kia hono anō ki tōna punarua (wahine tuarua) ki a Hineraumati kia roa ngā rā, a, kia poto ngā pō inā ngā tohu o te Raumati. E hua ana, nā Māui tēnei mea te 'daylight savings.'

Hei āwhea, whakanuia ai i a Puanga?

Ehara i te mea kia kotahi, kia rua noa ngā rā, ngā pō rānei hei whakanui i a Puanga engari hei te takiwā o te kotahi marama neke atu ki te rua marama kē te roa me te mōhio tonu, he rua marama mō mua ki te whakariterite, a, he rua marama anō ka whai ake ki te wānanga.

Hei te takiwā o te pō o Whiro i te Kotahi o Pipiri (arā te Hune ki te Hūrae) te wā ka tō ngā whetū pērā ki a Puanga, a Matariki, a Whānui (arā ko Vega tēnā) hoki. Koianei te wā me whakaaro atu ki te hunga kua riro ki te pō.

Ka rua wiki pea te roa o te moe a Puanga, a, ka ara anō a Puanga i te rāwhiti. Tērā te wā ka tāpiki atu ngā mate o te tau kua hipa hei whetū i te rangi. A, koinei hoki te wā me āta whakariterite ki te whakanui i te tau hou.

Ko te wā tika me whakanuia e tātau i a Puanga, ko ngā pō e matomato ai ngā tupu o te whenua me te wai, inā ko ngā pō o Rākau (ko Rākaunui me Rākaumatohe) rānei, ko ngā pō o Tangaroa (he kotahi wiki a muri atu i a Rākaunui) rānei. Ko te take e pēnei nei ana, kia huhua te kai, kia nui te hākari ki te whakanui i te huringa tau me te mana o Puanga.

Ngā hononga ō Puanga ki te kererū

E hāngai pū ana te whakataukī nei a Puanga kai rau ki te manu rangatira, ki te kererū i te mea koianei te wā e mōmona ana i te kai miro me te kai tawa. Nā te kaihoro, ka āhua haurangi te kererū me te taumaha, koia e hoihoi ai te kapakapa o tōna rere, a, ka māmā noa te hopu i ēnei tū manu.

Nā ēnei tū āhuatanga me te nui o te kiko o tēnei manu i rangatira ai te kererū hei kai matua mō Puanga. A, ko te tikanga me hoatu te manu tuatahi o te tau ki te ruahine, ki te kaumātua wahine o te whānau.

A, ka whāngaia ngā wāhine e hapū ana ki te puku o te kererū hei whakatau i te hiakai me te tuku i ngā kai huhua ki te whaea me tōna rea e tupu ana i tōna kōpū.

Ngā mahi māra kai

Ko tētehi kaupapa matua hei tēnei wāhanga o te tau ko te whakarite i te māra kai. Ka hurihia te oneone, a, whakamāngia te whenua e te taonga o te kōpaka kia mate ai nga tarutaru.

Etia nei ko ēnei mahi māra ko te whakatīnanatanga o waihangatanga mai o te ao tūroa nei, inā, ko Te Kore ko te whakariterite i te māra kai, ko Te Pō ko te whakatau i te purapura, katahi ka tupu, ka toru ki runga ka puta te tupu ki te ao tūroa, me kī, kua puta te tupu ki Te Ao Mārama.

Ko Puanga, ko Matariki, e rua, e rua. He wā hokinga mahara, he wā whakariterite mō te tau e tata ana, he wā ki te wānanga, a, he wā whakanui i ngā kaupapa ā-tāngata.

Close te reo Māori text

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The difference between Puanga and Matariki

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Skip to main content Some iwi tribes Māori | Matariki Māori New Year and the Pleiades star cluster Māori | Matariki Name . Che Wilson of Whanganui iwi explains why this is the case, and which iwi celebrate Puanga. iwi Noun celebrate Puanga rather than *** Ki tā ētehi, ehara a Matariki i te tohu o te tau, ko Puanga kē.

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Living by The Stars with Professor Rangi Matamua. 38,289 likes · 1,964 talking about this. Join Professor Rangi Matamua as he shares with us extensive knowledge around Māori astronomy and how we can...

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12 hours, 56 minutes

Wed, Oct 18 at 6:25 pm - Thu, Oct 19 at 7:21 am

Visible tonight, Oct 18 - Oct 19, 2023

Mercury:

↓ Wed 6:26 pm

↑ Thu 7:18 am

Venus:

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Mars:

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Jupiter:

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Saturn:

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Beta The Interactive Night Sky Map simulates the sky above Washington DC on a date of your choice. Use it to locate a planet, the Moon, or the Sun and track their movements across the sky. The map also shows the phases of the Moon, and all solar and lunar eclipses. Need some help?

The animation is not supported by your device/browser.

Please use another device/browser or check out the desktop version of the Interactive Night Sky Map.

Tonight's Sky in Washington DC, Oct 18 - Oct 19, 2023 (6 planets visible)

Planets Visible in Washington DC

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Sky map showing the night sky tonight from any location. What planets are visible tonight? Where is Mars, Saturn or Venus? What is the bright star in the sky?

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In this activity, students learn about star constellations and that various cultures have their own names and legends about them. They will appreciate that identifying constellations and remembering where they are in relation to each other are important for wayfinding.

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Origin of the celestial bodies

According to Māori myth, Ranginui played a pivotal role in the birth of the sun, moon, planets, stars and constellations - collectively called Te Whānau Mārama (the family of light). One version told by Hāmiora Pio of Ngāti Awa is that Tangotango (blackness of the heavenly night) and Wainui (the ocean) - two children of Ranginui and Papatūānuku - produced offspring: Te Rā (the sun), Te Marama (the moon), Ngā Whetū (the stars) and Te Hinātore (moonlight). The god Tāne took these offspring and placed them in their abodes in the sky.

A Ngāti Kahungunu version of this tradition says that Kewa, also a child of Ranginui and Papatūānuku, went to the peak of Te Maunganui (the great mountain), where he fetched te whānau mārama (the children of light) from the celestial guardian Te Āhuru. Kewa carried the astronomical bodies in sacred baskets, planting them in the heavens. The basket holding the sun was named Rauru-rangi, the basket carrying the moon was Te Kauhanga, and the basket containing the stars was Te Ikaroa (the Milky Way). Some stars such as Atutahi (Canopus) were put in baskets which hung to one side of Te Ikaroa.

The sun

Te Rā was the main deity of the heavens. During winter he was known as Te Rā-tūoi (the lean sun) and during summer Te Rā-kura (the red sun). Midday was Te Poupoutanga-o-te-rā (the post of the sun) or Te Pou-tū-a-tamanui-te-rā (the standing post of the sun). Dawn and sunset were called Te Tamanui-te-rā-kā (the burning sun). The flight of the sun across the sky was described as Te Manu-i-te-rā (the bird of the sun).

Māori mythology says that after the world's creation the sun moved across the sky so rapidly that night and day were very short; there was not enough time for people to perform daily tasks or get sufficient sleep. The demigod Māui devised a plan to slow the sun. He and his brothers made several strong ropes and journeyed to where the sun rises from the underworld. They built a low wall to hide behind, and laid out their ropes as nooses. When the sun appeared the brothers leapt out from their hiding place, threw the ropes over the sun, and ensnared it. Their quarry securely held, Māui leapt up and beat the sun until it cried for mercy. Today Māori believe that the rays of the sun are the remnants of the ropes used to slow its path.

Rona - the woman on the moon

One night a woman named Rona went to fetch water in her gourd. As she walked, the moon went behind a cloud, causing her to stumble in the dark. In her anger she cursed the moon. To counter, the moon came down to Earth to grab her. She grasped a tree, but was pulled up together with her gourd and the tree. They can all be seen on the surface of the full moon.

The moon

Marama, ahoroa, māhina and atarau are common names for the moon. The moon has important symbolic meaning for Māori and is strongly associated with women and the menstrual cycle, as in many cultures. The moon as Hineteiwaiwa is associated with fertility and the cycle of life. The terms Hina-te-ao (female light) and Hina-te-pō (female dark) and Hina-keha (pale moon) and Hinauri (dark moon) refer to the waxing and waning moon. Its cycle was likened to the opening and closing of a portal through which departed spirits returned to the origin of life. The moon was also used as a guide for planting and fishing.

The stars

Several hundred Māori star names survive from the time before Europeans arrived in New Zealand. Unfortunately, apart from the more prominent stars - Takurua (Sirius), Tautoru (Orion's Belt), Ruawāhia (Arcturus), Matariki (the Pleiades), Whānui (Vega), Puanga (Rigel), Rehua (Antares), Atuatahi, Atutahi, Autahi (Canopus ) - we no longer know with any certainty which stars many of the names refer to.

However, we do know that different tribes celebrated the rising of certain stars to mark the seasons. Tribes in different parts of the country also identified what we now called the Māori New Year by the dawn rising of one or more of Matariki, Puanga, Takurua and/or Atutahi.

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Origin of the celestial bodies According to Māori myth, Ranginui played a pivotal role in the birth of the sun, moon, planets, stars and constellations - collectively called Te Whānau Mārama (the family of light). One version told by Hāmiora Pio of Ngāti Awa is ...

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Maramataka calendars highlight the connection between the moon and our wellbeing. For the current rātaka (moon phase) check out our online Maramataka below, or download and order your free calendar today.

Our Maramataka tools were adapted from the mātauranga Māori in Living by the Moon Te Maramataka A Te Whānau-ā-Apanui by Wiremu Tawhai, (2013), Huia Publishers.

How to align your Maramataka

Did you know that Te Rakanui (the full moon) occurs every 29.53 days? This unusual number means we need to occasionally adjust our Maramataka to 'keep up' with the phases of the moon. If you have a printed Maramataka, we recommend checking it here once a month.

Step 1: Find the date

Our Maramataka resource has two parts: A large A3 poster and a small sticker wheel numbered 1 to 30/31. To get started, simply find today's date (the day) on your small sticker wheel. E.g. If it's the 4th of August, find the 4.

Step 2: Find the phase

Use our online Maramataka below to discover today's moon phase - then find this phase on the large wheel of your A3 Maramataka poster. Ka pai!

Step 3: Match the two!

Peel off your small sticker and carefully position it on your large wheel so that today's date and phase line-up. In cool news this sticker can be removed and reapplied as needed, allowing you to keep your Maramataka totally in sync.

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Oops, your cart is empty! Maramataka calendars highlight the connection between the moon and our wellbeing. For the current rātaka (moon phase) check out our online Maramataka below, or download and order your free calendar today. Our Maramataka tools were adapted from the mātauranga Māori in Living by the Moon Te Maramataka A Te Whānau-ā-Apanui by Wiremu Tawhai, (2013), Huia Publishers.