Why Matariki is different in the south
Being so far south, Murihiku does not see the Matariki cluster as well as other parts of the country. Different traditions mean slight changes in the significance of celebrations in the south. But whānau still come together as they would elsewhere in Aote
Murihiku’s cold, overcast winter months don’t lend themselves to stargazing – especially when the stars you’re trying to see are barely visible on the horizon.
In fact, the further south you go, the harder it is to see the Matariki star cluster. Which is why southern Mā ori are looking for a different star: Puaka.
Better known globally as Rigel, it’s the brightest star in Tautoru (Orion’s Belt) and signals the start of winter and the end of the muttonbird and tuna harvesting season.
It also means Te Waka o Raki is rising to bring loved ones to their final resting place in the celestial kingdom.
There’s a Mā ori proverb that says: Tā tai whetu ki te rangi, mau tonu mau tonu; Tatai tangata ki te whenua, ngaro noa, ngaro noa (The stars remain forever celestial. People of the whenua perish eventually to become stars).
At the start of Tangaroa a mua in the lunar cycle, Taramainuku – after gathering the wairua (spirits) of tū puna who died in the year before – steered Te Waka o Raki below the horizon to prepare the wairua to become stars when Matariki signals the new year.
Now that they are taking up their places, it’s a time for whā nau to whakapiripiri (huddle/hunker down) and remember these loved ones, look towards the future.
Explaining the Te Waka o Raki cluster, Te Wharekura o Arowhenua tumuaki tuarua (deputy principal) Tiahuia Kawe-Small says Puaka rises in the north-east and rests above Tautoru (Orion’s Belt, which forms the stern of the waka.
Moving the eye left from here, we see the upside down v-shaped cluster known as Te Kokotā (Hyades) which forms the sails of the waka, and then further left, the Matariki cluster – the bow.
Kawe-Small uses posters and imagery created by astronomer Professor Rangi Mā tā mua to teach Wharekura students about the Mā ori names and pū rā kau (stories) behind the stars and the maramataka (Mā ori lunar calendar) – which is used to dictate daily activities.
‘‘Now that the information has been revived we have all this incredible knowledge,’’ she says.
The Matariki cluster is typically visible during the
Tangaroa period towards the end of the lunar month of Pipiri (May–June this year) – which is considered the most productive time, both mentally and physically, in the lunar cycle.
It’s a time to rest, learn and share ideas.
Different way of life
Ngā i Tahu historian Dr Michael Stevens points out that the significance of Matariki is a bit different in southern Te Waipounamu, possibly because it is harder to view from Murihiku, but also, he suspects, because the region was nonhorticultural before about 1800.
‘‘Kū mara is the hardiest Polynesian crop, and its cultivation and storage fundamentally shaped the culture of hapū and iwi in northern New Zealand. And Matariki informed those activities,’’ he says.
But things were dramatically different in Murihiku.
The Ngā i Tahu economy, especially south of the Waitaki River, was based on harvesting, preserving, and transporting a range of wild foods during summer and autumn.
The most prominent of these was, and still is, te hopu tītī (muttonbirding), he says.
‘‘When we come off the Tītī Islands in late May with our pō hā and buckets full of tītī, and return to our mainland homes, it very much feels like the end of the year, in a seasonal sense.
‘‘We’ve made our proverbial hay while the sun shone, and now we’re into winter, which is a quiet or reflective time for many of us.’’
Despite the cultural differences between Te Ika a Mā ui and Te Waipounamu, which basically reflect regional climatic variation, southern Mā ori also traditionally studied the heavens for information as to the upcoming year, Stevens says.
Where and how Puaka rises is a particularly important guide as to upcoming weather patterns, for example.
‘‘Puaka, rather than Matariki, appears to have been the main tohu for our tīpuna here in southern New Zealand.’’
The past, present and future
Kawe-Small says there are three aspects to consider during Matariki or Puaka celebrations: The past, the present and the future.
And the stars in the Matariki cluster represent elements of each.
Pō hutukawa helps us remember those who have passed on; Hiwa-i-te-rangi is something of a wishing star, associated with aspirations; and Matariki itself signifies hope, reflection, wellbeing and connection to the taiao (natural world).
Then there are the stars that indicate what the future holds. Their brightness and position would tell us what to expect from crops, harvests and the weather in the coming year.
There’s Waitī, associated with freshwater kai; Waitā , associated with saltwater kai, Waipunaā -rangi, associated with the rain; Ururangi, which represents the winds; Tupuā nuku is associated with everything that grows from the soil; and Tupuā rangi represents the foods above the ground, like fruits, berries and birds.
‘‘The reading of Matariki is quite important. If we read the Matariki stars accurately we can prepare for the year,’’ KaweSmall says.
Not seeing Tupuā rangi clearly, for example, ‘‘is a sign that we need to be cognisant that there won’t an abundance of food,’’ she explains, which would prompt hapū to store extra.
Waipuna-ā -rangi might signal storms ahead, which means the whare and kai need to be protected.