Some Māori tribes believed that it was the rising of the star Puanga (Rigel in Orion) which marked the new year, not Matariki. Hence the saying: ‘Puanga kai rau’ (Puanga of plentiful food). This change was explained to the scholar Elsdon Best by a Māori elder: ‘The task of Puanga is to try with Matariki (the Pleiades) so he may gain possession of the year.’
Traditionally, Māori were keen watchers of the night sky, finding out from the stars the time and seasons, and using them to navigate the oceans. Lookouts would watch for the rise of Matariki just before dawn. For Māori, this time was important for remembrance and celebration.
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Matariki celebrations were popular before the arrival of Europeans in New Zealand, and they continued into the 1900s. They dwindled, with one of the last traditional festivals recorded in the 1940s. At the beginning of the 21st century Matariki celebrations were started again. Their popularity has led to some to suggest that Matariki should replace the Queen’s birthday as a national holiday.
When Te Rangi Huata organised his first Matariki celebrations in Hastings in 2000, about 500 people joined him. In 2003, 15,000 people came. Te Rangi Huata believes that Matariki is becoming more popular because it celebrates Māori culture and in doing so brings together all New Zealanders: ‘It’s becoming a little like Thanksgiving or Halloween, except it’s a celebration of the Maori culture here in (Aotearoa) New Zealand. It’s New Zealand’s Thanksgiving.’
