Tirohia ake ngā whetu
Me ko Matariki e ārau ana
He tiki mai tahau i ngā mahara e kohi nei
Whakarerea ake e nā te roimata koua riringi
He puna wai kai aku kamo…
I gaze up to the stars
To the assembly of Matariki
Captured are my memories of you who have left me behind
Tears rippling
like springs in my eyes. 1
He kāhui whetū ririki a Matariki kei te kāhui o Taurus, e mōhiotia anō ko Pleiades. I Aotearoa ka kitea e iri hāhaka mai ana i te huapae ki te raki-mā-uru, i te hiku o Te Ika-o-te-Rangi, i te atapō i wē-takurua. Koia nei te mātārere o te Tau Hou Māori me te huringa o te pekanga o te tau.
He wā kē anō e whakanuia ai a Matariki e tēnā me tēnā iwi, ko ētahi iwi hei te kitenga tuatahi o te kāhui i te ata iti, ko ētahi atu i muri o te eanga o Ōturu, i te tīmatanga rānei o te kōhiti. Ki ētahi atu iwi e whitu ngā whetū kei te kāhui, ki ētahi atu e iwa kē.
Heoi, mō ngā iwi katoa, ka whakapuakina te hiranga o Matariki ki te whakataukī me te waiata e hono ana i a ia ki te whetū taiahoaho, a Whānui:
Ka puta Matariki ka rere Whānui
Ko te tohu tēnā o te tau e!
Matariki reappears, Whānui starts its flight.
Being the sign of the [new] year!
He whakapotonga a Matariki mō ‘Ngā Mata o te Ariki Tāwhirimātea’. E ai ki ngā kōrero tuku iho a ngāi Māori, i te wehea o Ranginui rāua ko Papatūānuku e ā rāua tamariki, ka tino riri tētahi o ā rāua tama, te atua o te hau a Tāwhirimātea, ka tīkarohia mai ōna mata, ka makaia ki te rangi.
Ko te kōrero a te tohunga kōkōrangi o Tūhoe, a Ahorangi Rangi Matamua, e iwa ngā whetū i tatauria e ōna tūpuna:
Ko ētahi atu e kī ana ko Matariki te whaea, huri noa i a ia ko ana tamāhine tokoono, ko Tupuānuku, ko Tupuārangi, ko Waitī, ko Waitā, ko Waipunarangi, ko Ururangi. Ko tētahi kōrero e kī ana ka āwhina a Matariki rātou ko ana tamāhine i Te Rā, kua ngoikore nei i ana haerenga iho i te takurua mai i te raki.
Ka nui te hiranga o te kāhui o Matariki ki ngā take wairua, take taiao me ngā take ahurea puta noa i Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa. He maha ngā iwi o Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa ka aro ake ki tōna rerenga i te rangi hei tohu i te taka o te wā me te huringa o te pekanga tau. Ka kīia ko Matariki ki Ngā Kuki Airani; ko Mataliki ki Tokelau, ki Niue, ki Tuvalu, ki Tonga, ki ‘Uvea me Futuna); ko Matali’i ki Hāmoa; ko Matari’i ki Tahiti me Makali’i ki Hawai’i.
Kua noho ngā whetū o Matariki hei take mātai pūtaiao hei kōrero pūrākau i ngā ahurea puta i te ao mō te hia mano tau, tae atu ki te Rāwhiti Waenga, ki Āhia, ki Ahitereiria, ki Ūropi, ki Amerika ki te Raki me te Tonga anō.
E ai ki ngā kōrero pūrākau o Kirihi, ko ngā whetū taiahoaho katoa o Pleiades ko Pleione rāua ko Atlas, me ā rāua tamāhine tokowhitu. I a rātou e haereere ana i te ngahere i tētahi rangi, ka kitea ngā tamāhine nei e Orion, kātahi ka whāia. E ora ai rātou i te whakaaro kino o Orion, ka hurihia rātou e Zeus hei whetū, ka whakairia ki te rangi. Ko ētahi temepara o nehe kei te Toi o te Pā i Ātene e anga atu ana ki te aranga ake o Pleiades.
Hāunga ia te whakanui a ngā iwi katoa i te Tau Hou Māori i te Pipiri me te Hōngongoi, ka kīia tēnei wā o te tau e ētahi iwi ki Whanganui, ki Taranaki, ki Te Aupōuri me Te Waipounamu ko Puanga, kaua ko Matariki. I ēnei wāhi o te motu, kāore e mārama te kitea o te kāhui o Matariki, nō reira ka noho hiranga mai ko te whetū o Puanga, te whetū hiranga tuarua tata katoa ki a Matariki, ka māmā ake te kitea i te rangi rere rua. Ki a Ngāi Tahu i Te Waipounamu ko Puaka te ingoa o te whetū.
I ōna anō rohe ko te hekenga o te whetū o Rehua i te takurua te tohu o te huringa o te pekanga o te tau.
I ngā rā o mua, he iwi tātai arorangi te Māori, e mōhiotia ai te taka o te wā me te huringa o te pekanga tau mai i ngā whetū, me te tātai i ēnei e rere ai i te au o te moana. He rerekē anō te tātai a ngā iwi i te tīmatanga me te whakamutunga o Matariki, nā ngā rerekētanga tonu o te taiao, o te matawhenua, me te āhua o te tū mai o te rā me te marama e kite ana rātou.
Ko te huringa o te marama kei te tūāpapa o te Tau Māori e 354 rā te roa. Engari anō te maramataka o Ūropi ki te Uru (Gregorian), e 365.25 rā te roa, kei tōna tūāpapa ko te amionga o Papatūānuku i te rā. Nā tēnei ka rerekē anō ngā rā ki a Matariki i ia tau i te maramataka o te Uru.
Ka ngaro ngā whetū o Matariki i te rangi i te marama o Haratua (te tikanga i wē Haratua ki te tōmuatanga o Pipiri), ka kitea anō hei tōna marama i muri mai i te Pipiri (te tikanga i te tōmuritanga o Pipiri ki te tōmuatanga o Hōngongoi). Ki ētahi iwi ko te hokinga ake o ngā whetu kē ka tohu i te tīmatanga o te tau hou. Heoi anō, i te mea e kitea ana a Matariki i te rangi, ehara tērā i te tohu koia te wā tika mō ngā mahi whakanui, ka tohua kēngia tēnei e ngā wāhanga o te marama. Ko te wā kē mō ngā mahi whakanui ka taka i ētahi rā i muri mai o te aranga tuatahi o Matariki i te huapae.
I whakapono te Māori e tohu ana te whakakau ake o Matariki ki te rangi i te atapō i wē-takurua i Te Mātahi o te Tau, te tīmatanga o te Tau Hou Māori. Kua kimi te tohunga kōkōrangi i te aranga ake o Matariki i te atapō, kua āta mātai i te āhua o tēnā me tēnā whetū. Mā ēnei mātaitanga e matapaetia ai ngā āhuatanga o te tau kei te tū mai, pērā i te huarere me te āhua o te hauhaketanga.
He maha ngā whakataukī mō Matariki. E kōrero ana a ‘Matariki kāinga kore’ mō te haerenga mutunga kore o te kāhui whetū nei – kotahi tōna ngaronga i te rangi i te tau, i a ia ka whakangā i te Haratua ina riko te marama. Nā te hononga o Matariki ki ngā māra kai i puta ai te whakataukī: ‘Matariki ahunga nui’ (Matariki te kaiwhakarato i te nui o te kai). I te kitea ōna i te wā o te mahi huahua, ka puta te kōrero: ‘Ka kitea a Matariki, kua maoka te hinu’ (Kia kitea a Matariki, kua korotutuhia te huahua).
Ko Matariki te wā o te whakamaharatanga, te haumakotanga me ngā mahi whakanui. E toru ngā mea tino hiranga:
Haere atu rā e koro ki te paepae o Matariki, o Rehua. Haere atu rā.
Farewell old man, go to the threshold of Matariki, of Rehua. Farewell.
Ko tā te Māori o mua i te kitenga tuatahi i a Matariki, he tangi ki te hunga kua mate mai i tōna aranga ake i te tau ka hori. I whakahaeretia te tikanga o te ‘whāngai i te hautapu’ i tēnei wā hei whakamaharatanga ki te hunga kua mate, ko tētahi wāhanga ōna ko te ‘whāngai whetū’ ki te kai kua āta whakaritea.
I te tau 1957, ka mahara ake a Rangihuna Pire, tētahi kaumatua o Ngā Ruahine i Taranaki, ki te heria ōna i a ia e tamariki ana ki te kimi i a Matariki i Kaūpokonui, ki te tonga o Taranaki:
Tērā e oho roa ai ngā kaumatua mō ētahi pō nei i mua i te whakakau ake o ngā whetū. Kua mahia e rātou he hāngī iti. Kia kitea ngā whetū, kua tangi, kua taki haere i ngā ingoa o te hunga kua riro ki a Matariki mai i tōna hekenga, kua hukea te hāngī kia āwhiowhio ai tōna kakara ki te whakakaha ake i ngā whetū, kua ngoikore hoki, kua makariri hoki. 1
Ngā kai a Matariki, nāna i ao ake ki runga.
The foods of Matariki, by her scooped up.
Kia mutu te wā ki te tangi, kua huri te aronga ki ngā mahi whakanui i a Matariki. I te takanga o Matariki i te mutunga o te hauhaketanga, ranea ana te kai mō te hākari. Harikoa ana te iwi, he waiata, he kanikani te karawhiu ki te whakanui i te huringa o te pekanga tau me te tau hou.
Matariki atua ka eke mai i te rangi e roa,
E whāngainga iho ki te mata o te tau e roa e.
Divine Matariki come forth from the far-off heaven,
Bestow the first fruits of the year upon us.
Ko Matariki anō te wā e whakariterite ai mō te tau ka takoto ake. Ki te mārama, ki te taiahoaho ngā whetū, he tau pai, he tau humi kei te haere, kua tīmata te rumaki kai i te Mahuru. Ki te rehurehu, ki te tātata ngā whetū, kua kino te makariri o te takurua, kua waiho te rumaki kai mō te Whiringa-ā-nuku.
I kaingākautia te whakanui i a Matariki i mua i te taenga mai o ngā iwi o Ūropi ki Aotearoa, ka haere tonu tae atu ki ngā tau 1900. Nā wai, nā wai ka kore haere, ko ngā taiopenga ahurei whakamutunga i tū i ngā tau o te 1940, engari i puritia tonuhia ngā mātauranga o te rohe e ētahi iwi. I komokomohia e ētahi hāhi Māori hou, pērā i te hāhi Ringatū, ētahi āhuatanga ake o Matariki ki ā rātou tikanga hou.
I te tīmatanga o te rau tau 21 ka tahuri a ngāi Māori ki te whakarauora ake i ngā mahi whakanui i a Matariki hei tohu i te whakamaharatanga, i te harikoa me te rongomau. I whakakotahi mai anō ngā iwi, ngā hapu me ngā whanau i te wā ki a Matariki ki te tangi i ērā o te whānau kua riro, ki te kai tahi, ki te wānanga me te whakanui anō i a Matariki i ō rātou hapori. Ka whakahaeretia e ētahi ngā tikanga o mua i te ata iti, ka taki ai i ngā ingoa o te hunga kua mate mai i tērā aranga ake o Matariki, hei poroporoaki i a rātou, me te tunu anō i ngā kai o te kaupeka o te tau.
Hiranga ana te wāhi ki ngā iwi Māori ki te whakarauora ake i te aro atu a te hapori whānui ki ngā mahi whakanui. I a Te Rangi Huata i whakarite ai i ngā mahi whakanui i a Matariki a Ngāti Kahungungu i te tau 2000, i āhua 500 te hunga i whai wāhi atu; i te tau 2003, 15,000 te hunga i tae ake. I te tau 2021, ka āwhina a Te Rangi ki te whakarite i tana hui whakanui 21, ko ngā mahi i tū ki te Wairoa ahu atu ki te Wairarapa. I whakapono a Te Rangi i noho huarahi a Matariki hei whakanui i te ahurea Māori, waihoki, ki te whakakotahi i ngā iwi katoa o Aotearoa.
Kua āwhina hoki ngā pukapuka a te tohunga tātai arorangi, te mātanga mātauranga Māori, a Ahorangi Rangi Matamua (Tūhoe), ki te taunaki i te hiranga o Matariki ki ngā hapori Māori o mua, me ōna hononga ki te noho mārama a ngāi Māori ki tōna ao māori me te ao wairua.
Nā ngā taiopenga hoki kua whakaritea e ngā kaunihera ā-rohe me ngā whakahaere pērā i Te Papa Tongarewa, i Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori me Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, kua huri anō te aronga ki a Matariki. Haere ana ngā mahi kapa haka, te mātai whetū, te pahū muramura, te hāngī me te konohete huri noa i te motu. I te tau 2017 ka nekehia te pō pahū muramura i Te Whanga-nui-a-Tara, i whakahaeretia nei i te Whiringa-ā-rangi hei tohu i te Rā o Guy Fawkes, ki te Hōngongoi, hei whakanui i a Matariki.
I whai wāhi atu anō te whakarauoratia o Matariki ki te whakapiki ake i te kaingākautia o te pākau. Hei tā Hekenukumai Busby, tētahi tohunga ki ngā tikanga whakatere moana o nehe, i whakanuia e ngā tūpuna o ngāi Māori a Matariki mā te tuku pākau, pērā anō ngā iwi o Poronīhia o nehe.
I te tau 2020, ka pānuitia e te kāwanatanga tana whakaaro kia tū he hararei tūmatanui i te wā ki a Matariki ki te whakamihi me te whakanui i te ao Māori, ka tū tuatahi ā te tau 2022. Ka whakatūria te Rōpū Arataki o Matariki ki te tuku kupu ārahi ki ngā minita mō te wā me te āhua o te whakanui i te hararei tūmatanui nei. Ka neke te rā o te maramataka mō te hararei tūmatanui o Matariki haere he tau, kia hāngai ai ki te maramataka Māori. Te tikanga hei te tōmuritanga o Pipiri hei te tōmuatanga rānei o Hōngongoi. I tōia mai ngā mema o te Rōpū Arataki i te motu nui tonu e puta ai ngā mātauranga o iwi kē, o iwi kē.
Hakaraia, Libby. Matariki: the Māori New Year. Auckland: Reed, 2004.
Matamua, Rangi. Matariki: the star of the year. Wellington: Huia, 2017.
Matamua, Rangi. Matariki: te whetū tapu o te tau. Wellington: Huia, 2017.
Maakere Edwards and Kiwa Hammond, Celebrating Puanga at Ramanui. Ministry of Education, 2017. (Listen to audio book)
Williams, Jim, ‘Puaka and Matariki’, Journal of the Polynesian Society, Vol. 122(1), March 2013. (PDF)