Matariki almost 'colonised': Why there's no one day to celebrate it
Friday, 10 July 2020
There is no one day to celebrate Māori New Year, and celebrations differ among iwi – but many don’t know that.
Dr Dan Hikuroa, a senior lecturer for the University of Auckland's Te Wānanga o Waipapa, said the idea that there’s a universal lunar calender is a common misconception.
”In someways Matariki almost got colonised,” he said.
”People were seeing this amazing knowledge base and [tapping] into this newly remembered ancient knowledge, but were looking to try and universalise it.”
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Matariki and Puanga mark the start of the new year within the Māori culture – they indicate that the shortest day has past and days will begin to get longer.
For some iwi, the new year has already started. Others will welcome it in the coming week. The difference comes down to geography.
“It will be different because people’s observation points are different and there’s different markers … that will vary through time.”
According to Che Wilson from Whananui iwi who previously wrote about Puanga for Te Papa, the tribes of Whanganui, Taranaki, parts of the Far North, and parts of the South Island recognise Puanga.
Puanga is the Rigil, the brightest star in the Orion constellation, while Matariki is a cluster of up to nine stars.
Hikuroa, who is also the culture commissioner for the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO, said the natural rhythms and cycles of the season can’t be pinned to a black and white system of time.
He thought the fact that there wasn’t just one “universal Māori lunar calendar” might surprise some people.
“It’s not about occurring on one day at the first day of the month.
“This is no one day.”
Māori months align with moon phases – one full lunar cycle is one month.
“For some … the new year starts during the first full moon … following the appearance of Puanga which is the other kind of main star.”
“You have the star appear … and then you have the first full moon … and then when the tide is incoming, now the new year is starting.”
Around the country, similar markers are used with slight variations.
Calls to make Matariki a national holiday have echoed for years. While Hikuroa agrees, he said knuckling down the details might be a little complicated.
“The challenge of making it a national holiday is trying to pick one day.”
Inclusive discussions need to take place looking at when a potential holiday could fall and if it should span weeks.
“The idea, in principle, I fully support, it will be how it’s manifest in practice.”
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern hasn’t ruled out the possibility of creating a public holiday for the Māori New Year.
'There are pros and cons, and I think we should be open about that,' she said in May.
It wasn’t until the early 2000s that celebrating Matariki became popular with mainstream New Zealand.
Hikuroa, who built his knowledge base through research, rather than it being passed down, first heard about a public celebration from Auckland City Council not long after the turn of the century.
Sharing the knowledge kept it alive, and will continue to do so for future generations.
“It’s actually our duty to practice Matariki and share the knowledge,” Hikuroa said.
Just like different iwi observe it at different times, the meaning of Matariki and Puanga differs.
According to Hikuroa, some use it to remember those who past, which makes it a sombre occasion. Others, observe the stars to look into the future and see what the coming year holds.
Many regions around the country use fireworks to mark the occasion. While Hikuroa wouldn’t use fireworks to mark the occasion, he said there is no right or wrong way to celebrate.
“[It’s] up to the different folks to decide for them what is appropriate.”