What is Matariki?
Matariki is the Māori name for the Pleiades star cluster.
The new Māori calendar year begins on the first full moon after Matariki becomes visible on the eastern horizon, usually sometime in June. This year Matariki becomes visible on 18 June.
Matariki is a time to prepare the land for planting in the spring.
Matariki also has great significance for ocean voyagers as a navigation beacon.
How is Matariki celebrated?
Matariki is celebrated with offerings or koha of specially prepared delicacies, shared by all.
Matariki is also a time for wānanga - such as learning about whakapapa and other activities promoting the transference of whānau, hapū or iwi knowledge.
You could celebrate Matariki by preparing a garden in your backyard, having a family gathering to share family history and knowledge and then have a feast to celebrate the New Year.
Want to find out more about Matariki?
This page lists a selection of resources relating to Matariki.
Manukau Libraries has a Māori collection in each of its libraries, with the most extensive collection held at the Manukau Research Library.
All resources are available from Manukau Libraries.
Resources
- Batten, Juliet. Celebrating the southern seasons: rituals for Aotearoa(291.38 z BAT)
- Best, Elsdon. The astronomical knowledge of the Māori (NZ 520.8999442 BES)
- Best, Elsdon. Māori agriculture (630.8999442 z BES)
- Best, Elsdon. The Māori (vol I) (993.01 z BES)*
- Best, Elsdon. The Māori (vol II) (993.01 z BES)*
- Best, Elsdon. The Māori division of time pp. 11-18. (529 z BES)
- Dansey, Harry. Matariki. Te Ao Hou Vol. 61, 1967-68. pp. 15-16*
- Drewery, Melanie. Matariki (J PIC DRE)
- Hakaraia, Libby. Celebrating Matariki (NZ J 394.2 HAK)
- Hakaraia, Libby and Urlich, Colleen Waata. Te kāhui o Matariki : contemporary Māori art for Matariki (NZ 709.93 HAK)
- Hakaraia, Libby. Matariki: the Māori New Year (394.2 HAK)
- Hyde, Vicki. Night skies above New Zealand (520.993 z HYD)
- Kapai, Tommy. Scoop and Scribe search for the seven stars of Matariki (NZ J 398.2 ROL)
- Ngā whetu - the stars. Journal of the Polynesian Society Vol. 8, 1899. pp. 105-114*
- Matariki [DVD] (V305.899442 z MAT)
- Matariki: te Whetu o te Tau = Aotearoa Pacific New Year (394.2 z MAT)
- Matariki calendars 2002-2010 (529.3 MAT)*
- Matariki [Poster]: the Māori New Year (POSTER)
- Matariki: Te whetu o te tau = Aotearoa Pacific New Year (394.2 z MAT)
- Orbell, Margaret. The illustrated encyclopaedia of Māori myth and legend (398.2 z ORB)
- Orbell, Margaret. The natural world of the Māori (993.01 z ORB)
- Reed book of Māori mythology (NZ 398.20993 REE)
- Rolleston-Cummins, Toni. Te huihui o Matariki (NZ J 398.2 ROL)
- Rolleston-Cummins, Toni. The seven stars of Matariki (NZ J 398.2 ROL)
- Simmons, David Roy. Māori Auckland p. 15. (993.2 z SIM)
- Te wharekura 35 (NZ J 499.44286 TE)
- Te wharekura 79 (NZ J 499.44286 TE)
* Held at Manukau Research Library only.
Other related areas are:
Websites
Auckland Astronomical Society
Stardome Observatory - Mana Whetu multimedia presentation
Te Taitokerau Tourism
The Royal Astronomical Society - New Zealand's national astronomical society
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