The day Aotearoa-New Zealand ‘came of age’
The first Matariki national holiday is a hugely important ‘‘moment in time’’ for Aotearoa-New Zealand’s unity, says Waikato University te reo, tikanga and philosophy Professor Sir Pou Temara.
In a speech at Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington yesterday, Temara spoke of how special moments connect people.
‘‘These moments in time are the essence of our nationhood and our identity ... today we have chosen to thread the principles and values of Matariki into who we are as a people.’’
He said this ‘‘moment’’ was for reaffirming ‘‘our kinship bonds with one another’’.
‘‘It is a moment to look to the future and dream about a brighter tomorrow for all of us who call this country home.’’
While Matariki’s stars all had different aspects, they had risen yesterday ‘‘together as one cluster, as one family’’, Temara said.
It was important to celebrate our uniqueness ‘‘but let us also come together to rise as one people, as one nation, as one cluster to collectively darn another historical stitch into the fabric of our national identity’’.
All New Zealanders descended from people who used the night sky for direction and stars had guided us on how to live together.
Future generations would say of this day that it was a moment where ‘‘we came of age’’.
At the same event, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Matariki was a time to ‘‘reflect, to think of those we have lost, and to prepare and share a sense of hope and optimism for the future’’.
‘‘Many of us did not grow up with, or learn, the traditions of Matariki,’’ Ardern said.
‘‘But we now have that chance. A chance to see our children learn more about this period, a chance to learn from them, and a chance to create our own Matariki moments.’’