Story: Te mahi kai – food production economics

Winter stars

This chart shows the winter stars that were important to Māori. The pre-dawn rising of Matariki (the Pleiades) and Puanga (Rigel) signified the start of the Māori year, in winter. Takurua (Sirius) literally means winter.

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How to cite this page

Manuka Henare, Te mahi kai – food production economics – Calendar of work, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/20265/winter-stars (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Manuka Henare, published 1 March 2009.