Tākina Puanga
Ko Puanga kei runga
Ko Puanga e Rangi
Tākina mai te ara o Puanganui-o-te-rangi
Tākina ngā pou o te tau
Ki te whai ao, ki te ao mārama.
As Puanga rises
Let Puanga elevate us
Let Puanga be noted in the heavens
Let us recite the great celestial path of Puanga
Let us recite the ceremonies throughout the year
With clarity and intention.
Puanga is the Māori name for Rigel, the seventh brightest star in the sky, which is part of the Orion constellation.
A number of iwi/hapū in the Taiuru (including Taranaki, Whanganui and Rangitīkei) rohe within Te Tai Hauāuru (the west coast of the North Island) use Puanga as their marker for the new year.
The term Puanganui-o-te-rangi refers to Puanga and its two affiliated stars – Puanga Hori (Procyon) and Whakaahu (Gemini) – and their significance over a period of approximately four months, from the last month of autumn until the beginning of spring.
Puanga, or Rigel, is known to some northern iwi as Puangarua. While it is visible throughout the year, Puanga is especially prominent in the evening sky in late autumn and in the pre-dawn sky during the first month of the new year.
Puanga Hori (Procyon) rises below Takurua (Sirius) in the second month of the year. Whakaahu (Gemini) pairs up with Puanga in the third month and indicates productivity.
Ngā Pou o te Tau – ceremonies throughout the year
There are two Puanga ritenga (Te Maru o te Tau and Te Tahi o te Tau), and spring (Te Matamata o te Tau), summer (Te Matiti o te Tau) and autumn harvest (Te Huatahi o te Tau) ceremonies.
Te Maru o te Tau
This ritenga is a hautuku ceremony conducted at sunset which focuses on:
- sending the departed to Te Whata nā Maru (the Platform of Maru – a constellation in the western night sky that includes Puanga, Tautoru and Pūtara (Betelgeuse));
- releasing any challenges from the past year; and
- starting the winter wānanga over the Pō Roa o Takurua – the long nights of winter.
Te Tahi o te Tau
This ritenga is a hautapu ceremony conducted before dawn which focuses on:
- acknowledging the transition of the departed to become guiding stars in our lives;
- welcoming the new year with gratitude; and affirming our commitment to our ancestors, the environment and the future.
Te Matamata o te Tau
Te Matamata o te Tau is a ritenga at the start of spring. It is a haupawa ceremony which focuses on:
- lighting a fire to offer up shoots of new growth; and
- sending aspirations and learnings from the winter wānanga to the heavens to be affirmed by the tūpuna.
The smoke produced when green fronds are placed on the fire sends the karakia to the heavens.
At the conclusion of this ritenga, the ash from the fire is mixed into the garden in preparation for planting. This ritenga can also call īnanga (whitebait) and other fish back inland as a sign of the return of Hineraumati (summer maiden) from the sea.
‘Matariki mā Puanga’ was selected as the theme for the fourth Matariki public holiday in 2025. This acknowledged the iwi of Tai Uru and other communities who observe Puanga in their astronomical traditions.