Ngā rauemi mō Puanga me Matariki Puanga and Matariki resources
Puanga and Matariki is a time to wānanga, to restore faith and hope for the future, a time for whanaungatanga, to be with others, share stories and kai, and celebrate who we are.
Puanga and Matariki are a time to wānanga, to restore faith and hope for the future, a time for whanaungatanga, to be with others, share stories and kai, and celebrate who we are. Find resources and more below!
Jump to:
In 2022, to celebrate Matariki the Māori New Year as a public holiday for the first time, Te Wharewaka o Poneke gifted a moving karakia to Wellington. Have a listen of the karakia, by Ben Ngaia:
On the MBIE website, a team of tangata rongonui / Matariki Advisory Group has gathered an extensive collection of mātauranga and stories of Matariki, describing how we may reflect and incorporate the kaupapa of Matariki into our lives.
About the Matariki public holiday (MBIE)
The MBIE website says:
The Government has committed to ensuring mātauranga Maori is at the heart of celebrations of the Matariki public holiday, and it will be a time for:
- Remembrance – Honouring those we have lost since the last rising of Matariki
- Celebrating the present – Gathering together to give thanks for what we have
- Looking to the future – Looking forward to the promise of a new year
Matariki is an abbreviation of 'Ngā Mata o te Ariki Tāwhirimātea' ('The Eyes of the God Tāwhirimātea') and refers to a large cluster of stars, also known as the Pleiades.
You can read the full document prepared for MBIE by Professor Rangi Matamua on behalf of the Matariki tangata rongonui / Advisory Committee at the link below:
Values for Matariki Celebrations
Matariki values described in the document in addition to the principles above (remembrance, celebrating the present, and looking to the future) are:
The Kaupapa are:
Watch a lecture by Dr Rangi Matamua for Te Wānanga o Aotearoas where he shares his extensive knowledge around Matariki and Māori astronomy and how we can all live by the stars:
Find a huge range of videos and more information about Matariki on Te Papa Tongarewa's Matariki page:
Puanga is the star Rigel in Orion. In Māori mythology Puanga was believed to be the older brother of Matariki. His cosmic rising between May and June in the early morning sky signalled the beginning of winter.
"Some iwi celebrate Puanga rather than Matariki. Che Wilson of Whanganui iwi explains why this is the case, and which iwi celebrate Puanga."
Feed the stars, fill your cup
. Hautapu is a traditional ceremony about making an offering to the Matariki star cluster. Learn more by watching Dr Rangi Matamua's (Matariki tangata rongonui / Advisory Committee) video about Whāngai te Hautapu!
Dr Rangi Matamua talks about Whāngai te Hautapu
Some key takeaways from the video:
Watch this video from TVNZ's Re: News about a whānau holding a Hautapu ceremony for Matariki for the first time:
From Re: News — First whānau Hautapu ceremony
And watch this video from Te Papa Tongarewa of highlights from the historic Whāngai i te Hautapu, marking the first Matariki public holiday in Aotearoa's history, on 24 June 2022:
Have a listen as well to Episode 150 of Taringa, "Matariki 2020 - Revitalisation and Hautapu at home":
The first part of this talks about Matariki revitalisation, and the second half (partway through) looks at how the umu kohukohu whetū used to be conducted in a traditional way, and Paraone Gloyne gives examples of how anyone can do their own hautapu ceremony using what you have at home.
Make sure to also check out the downloadable Matariki handbook with karakia you can use for your own ceremony:
Downloadable Matariki handbook — with Karakia
Simon Day from The Spinoff attended Dr Rangi Mātāmua's talk at Te Tākinga marae in Rotorua this June where he spoke as part of the Kupu Māori Writers Festival, and wrote this excellent article about how to celebrate Matariki, that features a section on Hautapu:
Simon Day on The Spinoff — Mānawatia a Matariki! Tips for how to celebrate
And here's the talk he attended by Dr Rangi Mātāmua:
Some takeaway messages:
Te whāngai I te hautapu has three Kaupapa:
Watch and listen to these Matariki waiata!
"Experience the magic of Matariki i te pō with a selection of new waiata from award-winning musician, Maisey Rika. She is performing brand new material from her recently released singles celebrating this special time of year.
Matariki i te pō — with Maisey Rika
@jayfrombluff Professor Rangi Mataamua performing his Matariki Waiata. #matariki #livingbythestars #pleaides #aotearoa #maaori ♬ Rangi Matamua Maramataka Waiata - Jay
Cook up a feast for your whānau for Matariki — have a browse of the ideas, links and books below from the chefs below!
From Chef Luke Adams, recipes for fry bread, creamed paua and boil-up:
Tino reka! Fry bread, creamed pāua and boil-up
"Celebrity chefs Karena and Kasey Bird (Te Arawa) from the Bay of Plenty are masterminds at creating Matariki recipes whānau can make from the comfort of their own homes."
Te Ao Māori News — Mānawatia a Matariki! Karena and Kasey Bird create recipes for today
The recipes include:
And here's more from Karena and Kasey:
Have a watch of Anne Thorp's Kai Ora series! The first video is below, and you can find the whole Kai Ora series here.
Check out this recipe for gluten-free pikopiko soda bread from Māori Chef & Forager Charles Royal:
Gluten Free Piko Piko Soda Bread — Kai Ora
"The traditional hāngī has long been seen as the mainstay of kai Māori. Monique Fiso, owner of Wellington's Hiakai, is challenging this by bringing native ingredients back on the menu, and helping to shape and define Māori cuisine"
"After returning to our shores and organising a series of sell-out pop-ups in 2015, Fiso opened her acclaimed Wellington restaurant Hiakai in 2018, specialising in Māori fine-dining cuisine. Fiso, who is of Māori and Samoan descent, is now considered one of the country’s most important chefs, bringing a new genre of cuisine to the fore that both honours and expands on Aotearoa’s food story."
From Māori Television, watch episodes of Life of Kai, with Joe McLeod:
"Joe McLeod is on a mission to revive traditional Māori food practices. He shares with us a culinary world & knowledge that many people thought..."
Life of Kai — Māori Television
And see also Jacqui Gibson's article for Wilderness magazine:
Food talk & foraging with chef Joe McLeod
Watch Rewi Spraggon's episode on Life of Kai:
"Rewi Spraggon is a man of many talents – a chef, a carver, musician and artist – but a hāngi master at his core...."
Life of Kai — Rewi Spraggon's episode on Māori Television
Peter Gordon (Ngati Kahungunu, Ngai Tahu) is a pioneer of fusion food:
"In 2020, Peter relocated from London to Auckland to establish Homeland, a restaurant and food embassy to support New Zealand producers, teach people to cook, buy local, and share recipes from their homelands – and tell trade stories to the world."
Want a book to learn about Matariki, or a story to share with the whānau? Have a browse of our booklists below!
Te kāhui o Matariki : contemporary Māori art of Matariki / Hakaraia, Libby
"Te Kahui o Matariki is a large-scale book containing contemporary artwork, photography, poetry and short writings including personal experiences of Matariki - the Maori New Year. This book contains an introduction and background to Matariki. The artists include painters, sculptors, photographers, weavers, carvers and mixed media artists." (Catalogue)
Matariki : te whetū tapu o te tau / Matamua, Rangi (I te reo Māori)
"In midwinter, Matariki rises in the pre-dawn sky, and its observation is celebrated with incantations on hilltops at dawn, balls, exhibitions, dinners and a vast number of events. The Matariki tradition has been re-established, and its regeneration coincides with a growing interest in Māori astronomy. Still, there remain some unanswered questions about how Matariki was traditionally observed. What is Matariki? Why did Māori observe Matariki? How did Māori traditionally celebrate Matariki? When and how should Matariki be celebrated? This book seeks answers to these questions and explores what Matariki was in a traditional sense so it can be understood and clebrated in our modern society." (Catalogue)
Matariki : the star of the year / Matamua, Rangi (In English)
Puanga, star of the Māori New Year = Ko Puanga-nui-ā-rangi te whetū mātāmua o te tau hou Māori : nānā i ārahi i ā Matariki tana tuahine tō muri iho / Rerekura, Sam
"Puanga is the star Rigel in Orion. Most of the tribes of the Maori people in Aotearoa observed Puanga to mark the beginning of the Maori New Year. In Maori mythology he was believed to be the older brother of Matariki. His cosmic rising between May and June in the early morning sky signalled the beginning of winter. Through the study of the oral literature we are able to gaze through a window into the past to understand how Maori perceived the star Puanga in ancient times." (Catalogue)
Tā Daniel hākari matariki / Beyer, Rebecca
"Starting something new is always difficult. How will Daniel fit in? Luckily for him Matariki is a time of sharing and new beginnings." (Catalogue)
Matariki / Drewery, Melanie
"A family celebrate the Māori New Year and talk about what Matariki means to different people. Suggested level: junior, primary." (Catalogue)
Stories from our night sky / Drewery, Melanie
"Collection of stories and poems drawn from traditional Māori folklore, from the legends of Matariki, Rona and the Moon, and more. Suggested level: junior, primary." (Catalogue)
Together in love : a legend of Matariki / Hall, Xoë
"The loving embrace of Ranginui and Papatuanuku keeps the land in constant darkness. When their children discover there is light beyond their parents love, chaos is unleased and the stars of Matariki are created"--Back cover. Based on the traditional story." (Catalogue)
Matariki / Holt, Sharon
"A song about celebrating Matariki. A family wakes early to watch the Pleiades rise in the North East, and then during the day, whanau arrive with food to share." (Catalogue)
Te kāhui o Matariki / Holt, Sharon
"In this book we focus on each of the nine stars in the Matariki cluster, and their relationship to the environment." (Catalogue)
Te Kokorangi: Te Aranga o Matariki. / Ihimaera, Witi
"E kimi ana a Te Kokorangi i etahi pia hou tokowha hei ako i nga korero o Matariki me te maramataka. Kowhiria ana etahi tama tokotoru, me tetahi kotiro, he pani, ko Aria te ingoa. Tohe ana a Aria kia haere ano ko tana kuri haunga i tona taha. Ka ahua hoha a Aria i nga akoranga, kaore hoki ia e pai kia tohutohungia ia. Engari kua noho morearea te iwi. Taihoa pea ratou ka tino raru i a Ruatapu Te Pukurua. Ae ranei ma Aria ano te iwi e whakaora?" (Catalogue)
Ngā whetū Matariki whānakotia / Kamo, Miriama
"Sam and Te Rerehua search for the stars that have mysteriously gone missing." (Catalogue)
The stolen stars of Matariki / Kamo, Miriama
"Sam and Te Rerehua search for the stars that have mysteriously gone missing." (Catalogue)
Twinkle, twinkle Matariki / Larsen, Rebecca
"Pukeko, Kiwi and Hoiho want to fly very high. Join them as they blast off to explore the nine stars of Matariki" (Catalogue)
Ngā manu tukutuku e whitu o Matariki / McClintock, Calico
"A fictional retelling of the traditional Matariki story"--Publisher information." (Catalogue)
Celebrating Matariki / MacGregor, Jill
"In New Zealand, Mataraki is a time to remember ancestors and traditions of long ago. Maori iwi celebrate Matariki in different ways at different times. Tamarau and his friends share some ideas and activities for celebrating Mataraki." (Catalogue)
Tawhirimātea : a song for Matariki / Pitman-Hayes, June
"Tawhirimatea, blow winds blow, Ra, warm us up with your sunshine glow. Papatuanuku, we plant seeds in you. Ua, rain, helps new life come through... Read and sing along to this catchy Matariki song celebrating Earth, sky, seasons and whanau." (Catalogue)
Flit the Fantail and the Matariki map / Quin, Kat
"Join Flit and his friends, Keri the kiwi and wise old Ruru, as they explore the night skies to work out how to capture a sparkling star. When the friends get lost, they follow the twinkling clues in the sky to find their way back home" (Catalogue)
Ko Flit, te Tīrairaka me te mahere Matariki / Quin, Kat
"Join Flit and his friends, Keri the kiwi and wise old Ruru, as they explore the night skies to work out how to capture a sparkling star. When the friends get lost, they follow the twinkling clues in the sky to find their way back home"--Publisher information." (Catalogue)
The little kiwi's Matariki / Slade-Robinson, Nikki
"The little kiwi is fast asleep in her burrow. A beam of moonlight shines right down into her burrow. She wakes, and realises it is time. Hurrying out into the night, she wakes each of her friends from their midwinter slumber. 'Kia tere! Hurry!' she urges them. The little Kiwi leads her friends through the pingao and onto the beach. It is pre-dawn. They wait, and watch. As the moon slips away behind the hills, the constellation of Matariki rises for the first time, in the northeastern sky. This gentle tale about celebrating Matariki, the Maori New Year, finishes with an explanation of Matariki - its origins, traditions and how it is celebrated today. The constellation is also shown, with the Maori names for each star. The text contains some simple words in Te Reo Maori alongside the English equivalent." (Catalogue)
The promise of Puanga : a story for Matariki / Wadsworth, Kirsty
"There is a bright new star in the winter sky -- Puanga, cousin to the Matariki sisters. Each year, she appears to the people of Aotearoa, a special sign (for those unable to see Matariki) that winter and the Māori new year are coming. With themes of friendship, family, Māori tradition and the empowerment of young women" (Catalogue)
Ko te kī taurangi a Puanga: he ururoa ki te Whānau Matariki / Wadsworth, Kirsty
"There is a bright new star in the winter sky -- Puanga, cousin to the Matariki sisters. Each year, she appears to the people of Aotearoa, a special sign (for those unable to see Matariki) that winter and the Māori new year are coming. With themes of friendship, family, Māori tradition and the empowerment of young women" (Catalogue)
Find out how we're celebrating Matariki in Pōneke, as well as resources for teachers, students and more with the websites below.
Every year Ngā Taonga prepares a video for Matariki. This year's video is in celebration of the first Matariki Holiday on 24 June 2022, Matariki Hunga Nui – Matariki of Many People. This is a 15-minute audio-visual programme focusing on the star of the Matariki cluster; Pōhutukawa.
"Celebrate iconic Māori television, film and music with this collection, in time for Māori New Year. Watch everything from haka to hip hop, Billy T to the birth of Māori Television. Two backgrounders by former TVNZ Head of Māori Programming Whai Ngata (Koha, Marae) look at Matariki, and the history of Māori programming on New Zealand television"