Matariki celebration better than ever
A Kapiti youth group are organising a Matariki celebration event for the second consecutive year, and they’re determined to make this year’s event better than the last.
Te Puawaitanga o Nga¯ Kakano will mark Maori New Year at their event at Nga Purapura, in Otaki, on Saturday, July 23.
Workshops in kite making, weaving, seed planting and other things will be available, along with food and musical performers. A bouncy castle and an obstacle course will be set up to entertain the children.
Nga Kakano also organised last year’s event at the same venue. About 1000 people attended, and group member Laci Evans hopes to improve on that figure.
‘‘We took all the learnings of last year ... last year’s event was really rushed. This year we’ve definitely pulled through with more of our organisations.’’
This year’s event will feature local food vendors, and more kapa haka groups than last year.
Fellow group member Mystery Leah said she wants the whole district to get involved.
‘‘It’s our way of showing the community how we celebrate Matariki.
‘‘Having it in Otaki brings in people from that kind of com- munity too.’’
Nga Kakano was founded after two teens, Izak Millanta and Sean Strongman-Lintern, were killed in two separate incidents at Kapiti Lights in 2012.
‘‘I’ve always wanted to be in youth work, and starting with Nga Kakano got me involved even more,’’ Evans said.
Nga Kakano members will be supervising the event.
Leah, Evans and Wiki MatherRangi joined two years ago, along with the majority of the 20 core members, all aged between 16 and 20.
‘‘I love it. It’s what I’m passion- ate about,’’ Leah said.
‘‘I like to help people ... and provide a safe space for rangatahi (youth), have free events and keep them out of trouble.’’
‘‘For me, it’s having a say for our youth who are really interested in this stuff, and want to get their point across,’’ Mather- Rangi said.
Matariki is the Maori name for the constellation otherwise known as Pleiades - its appearance before dawn in May or June traditionally signalled the start of the Maori New Year.
The Nga Kakano event begins at 11am.