July 06, 2021
Matariki holiday part of next wave of Maori renaissance
A member of the expert advisory committee which set dates for the Matariki holiday says it’s triggering a new consciousness among Māori.
The first holiday will be in June 24 next year, and the panel also set dates for the next 30 years, coinciding with the Friday nearest to when the stars of the Matariki cluster rise above the horizon.
Māori astronomy expert Rangi Matamua says a lot of work has gone into recovering knowledge about the Māori calendar systems, and there is lot more learning and teaching to be done about Matariki the Māori new year.
He believes it’s part of the second wave of the Māori renaissance.
"We're moving away from just having spaces for Māori, having kura for Māori, having kōhanga for Māori, to actually being practitioners within those spaces, and I think we are growing another generation who are unashamedly Māori but also practice as Māori and I think that's crucial because it is through practice that the tikanga survives," Professor Matamua says.
He says people both Māori and Pākehā are curious about Matariki and what it says about where Aotearoa New Zealand is heading.
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