Celebrating Matariki Day
BULA readers! On Monday I attended a function at the New Zealand High Commission residence in Suva to celebrate the first ever official public holiday celebrating Matariki also known as the Maori New Year, which falls on June 24.
Credit where credit is due to the whole New Zealand High Commission staff and its friends who created a very welcoming and also appreciative environment, where those in attendance got to value the importance of this public holiday which has sacred significance, traditional and cultural value.
It will be a special day for all in the New Zealand calendar as I have been informed that the Maori population makes up about 17 per cent of the country’s population, but unfortunately over the years these first settlers were victimised and marginalised as Britain’s colonisation of the country took a stranglehold of the day-today running of the state, where the traditional owners were slowly, but surely dispossessed of a great deal of their land and their rights during this time.
The Maori community has been protesting for years to be recognised, have equal civil and social rights and have criticised the past governments for not listening or addressing the social and economic needs of the traditional custodial keepers of the land.
This seems to be an ever-growing problem as globalisation and the thirst for financial gain can quickly consume traditional values and make them obsolete as we have seen this in many countries across the world.
There has to be a fine line between these two worlds of culture and economic globalisation, which is indeed getting harder to balance day by day as globalisation and being citizens of the world takes precedence over the cultural aspirations of a country and its people.
To address these shortcomings new curriculums and mandatory teachings of the Maori history and also the British colonialism have been introduced to schools and education centers across New Zealand, which hopefully will bring about a better understanding of the culture and the deep traditions for all to enjoy.
Matariki is the Maori name for a cluster of stars. It is also known as the Pleiades, the rising of which is recognised by the Indigenous people of New Zealand as the start of the new year.
Recently it was acknowledged by key stakeholders that the holiday is a time for honoring ancestors, celebrating the present by gathering together to give thanks and looking forward to the new year. It also helps to reaffirm identity and bonds that people have with each other, those that have passed, those that are still with us and those that are still to come.
It’s indeed a valid and also a very important celebration that helps to embed those central values within all people.
The first star Matariki is known as the mother of the eight stars in the constellation. Matariki is connected to health and wellbeing and is often viewed as a sign of good fortune or health to come in the following year.
If the cluster and the Matariki star is bright and high in the sky, it is a signal of wellbeing, peace, and good luck for observers. You can look upon this star to set your intentions of prioritising your health and wellbeing and those of your loved ones.
There are various meanings and interpretations of Matariki, and my recommendation is anyone wanting to know more about this celebrated public holiday just needs to enter the name in their search engine and you will be able to access a more detailed account and understanding of this auspicious day.
It is indeed heartwarming to see the Maori community having this day bestowed upon them and recognising and being recognised as an integral part and fabric of the country we call New Zealand.
Great effort and well done to all those individuals, groups and organisations who have managed to make this dream a reality as it is well overdue.
Finally, it is very encouraging to see inclusiveness, consultation and democracy in action as New Zealand as a country has once again demonstrated that it listens to its people and has delivered on its promise.
AJAY BHAI AMRIT is a founding member of The People’s Alliance party and is also a freelance writer. The views expressed in this article are his and do not necessarily reflect the views of this newspaper.