Matariki Festival 2012 Takes Off!
Monday 11 June 2012, 5:28PM
By Pead PR
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Heralded by the rising of the Matariki Star Cluster, the much-loved Matariki Festival returns to entertain and delight Aucklanders from 21 June to 24 July, 2012.
Build and fly a traditional Māori kite, learn to cook an authentic feast or enjoy a fusion of modern culture and kapa haka – the Matariki Festival 2012 promises to be a spectacular showcase of Kiwi culture and creativity for all of Auckland to enjoy.
Building on the success of 2011, Auckland Council and Matariki Festival sponsors are proud to present an even wider range of events and activities. Aucklanders can also look forward to bigger and better festival favourites such as the Manu Aute Kite Day supported by NZ Post and the 2degrees Kapa Haka Super 12s competition.
Mayor Len Brown says it’s great to see Aucklanders connecting with and enjoying a cornerstone of Kiwi culture.
“The Matariki festival is a special time of year for Kiwis. It’s fantastic to see a vibrant Auckland welcome visitors and locals alike to enjoy our unique cultural heritage.”
The Mayor officially launches the 2012 Matariki Festival at a Dawn Karakia on Maungakiekie (One Tree Hill) on 21 June.
The Auckland Council encourages everyone to get out and experience the living cultural tradition with tangata whenua and join in the Matariki celebrations at this special time of year.
Key events in the 2012 Matariki Festival include:
DAWN KARAKIA – The cornerstone of the 2012 Matariki Festival, the Dawn Karakia acknowledges the first day of Matariki and officially opens the month of celebrations. Aucklanders are encouraged to gather atop Maungakiekie (One Tree Hill) to welcome the first sighting of the Matariki Star Cluster with a powerful Karakia followed by a free breakfast.
o When: Thursday 21 June, 7.00am
o Where: Stardome Observatory, Cornwall Park, Manukau Road entrance opened only (allow 30 minutes to walk up the summit)
o Cost: Free
MATARIKI WĀNANGA-A-KAI – A sellout event on the 2011 calendar, the Matariki Wānanga-a-kai food forum returns with its unique focus on traditional Kiwi kai. Chef Charles Royal hosts a journey of discovery in to traditional Māori ingredients, recipes and kai. Experience authentic cuisine and styles of cooking as you celebrate Matariki through fine food.
o When: Tuesday & Wednesday 10,11 July, 7.30pm – 9.00pm
o Where: Māngere Arts Centre Ngā Tohu o Uenuku, 63 Orly Ave Māngere
o Cost: Free, limited seating
2DEGREES KAPA HAKA SUPER 12s - Returning after a very successful opening year, the 2degrees Kapa Haka Super 12s Competition reignites the search for Aotearoa’s best young kapa haka team. Each group, limited to 12 performers and just 12 minutes, balances traditional waiata (song), poi and haka with modern flair to wow the judges and impress the audience. The show promises to be an electrifying display of creativity and talent and is a festival must-see.
o When: Saturday 14 July, 10.00am – 5.00pm
o Where: The Cloud, Queens Wharf, Auckland Central
o Cost: Free
MANU AUTE KITE DAY SUPPORTED BY NEW ZEALAND POST – One of the most popular events on the Matariki calendar, the annual Orakei Marae kite day is a focal point for the festival. Flying kites is a traditional Māori custom to welcome in the New Year and a great chance for family and friends to come together and enjoy one of Auckland’s most beautiful locations. The 2012 event will be replicated at key venues throughout the city with spectacular kites taking flight in several suburbs. Aucklanders are welcome to come along and fly their own kites, have a go at traditional kite-making, enjoy storytelling sessions and watch kapa haka performances. The Manu Aute Kite Day supported by NZ Post is undoubtedly a great day out for the whole family.
o When: Saturday 21 July, 10.00am – 5.00pm (rain day Sunday 22 July)
o Where: Kitemoana Street, Orākei Marae
o Cost: Free
The month-long festival is proudly presented by Auckland Council in partnership with its family of sponsors and supporters like NZ Post and 2degrees.
More information, including details of all of the events, activities and competitions incorporated into the festival, is available on www.matarikifestival.org.nz. A copy of the schedule is attached.
BACKGROUNDER
Matariki Festival 2012
21 June – 24 July
The 2012 Matariki Festival is an Auckland wide celebration of the Māori New Year and is heralded by the rising of the Matariki star cluster.
The festival features more than 50 events proudly presented by Auckland Council and community groups, together with its sponsors and supporters. A celebration of traditional Māori customs, culture and creativity, the Matariki Festival is a fantastic opportunity for residents, communities and organisations throughout Tāmaki Makaurau to enjoy this special time of year.
From the official dawn Karakia at Maungakiekie (One Tree Hill) to the Manu Aute Kite Day supported by New Zealand Post and the 2degrees Kapa Haka Super 12 Competition, there is something for everyone to enjoy in the Matariki Festival 2012.
The month-long festival is proudly presented by Auckland Council in partnership with its family of sponsors and supporters like NZ Post and 2degrees.
History of Auckland’s Matariki Festival
In 2003 Auckland’s Matariki Festival grew out of a vision of the former Auckland, North Shore, Manukau and Waitakere city councils to reclaim, promote and commemorate Matariki as a celebration and to remember Aotearoa’s unique Māori heritage.
Originally co-ordinated and promoted by the four councils under the Toi Whenua banner, the festival has grown to include dozens of events organised across Tamaki Makaurau annually - giving everyone a chance to come together with tangata whenua to experience this living cultural tradition.
Auckland Council, established in November 2010, is now the festival core producer. It organises a number of the key events and promotes the festival, which attracts thousands each year.
History of Matariki
Matariki has always been an important time in the Māori calendar.
Heralded by the rising of the star constellation known as Matariki, the Māori New Year signalled a time for connecting with, and giving thanks to the land, sea and sky. It was a time for the community to come together to farewell those departed and acknowledge the year gone by. It was also a time to turn to the future, welcoming the new generation to the world and planning for the year ahead. In addition Matariki was a time when people would gather to share kai, rituals, entertainment, hospitality and learnings.
While the pre-dawn rising of the star cluster Matariki is referred to as 'Te Tau Hou', the New Year, for many Maori the first new moon after the rise of Matariki signalled the start of the New Year celebrations, with the moon (Marama) being central to activities of harvesting kai and the start for all things new.
Historically the Matariki star cluster was a navigational aid for Maori and an indicator of the upcoming seasons. If the stars were clear, it was a sign that the year ahead would be warm and therefore productive. If they were hazy and closely bunched together then a cold year would be in store.
Matariki celebrations were popular before the arrival of Europeans in New Zealand and they continued into the 1900s. Gradually they dwindled, with one of the last traditional festivals recorded in the 1940s.
At the beginning of the 21st century Matariki celebrations were revived and have become a special time of the year to respect the land we live on, celebrate the unique place we live in and continue to share and grow with each other.
Matariki stars
Matariki is the Māori name for the Pleiades, a star cluster in the constellation Taurus.
Matariki translates to tiny eyes. It is also sometimes called Mata ariki, which translates to the eyes of God.
Māori legend tells of a time when the god of winds Tāwhirimātea became so angry that Ranginui the sky father and Papatūānuku the earth mother had been forcibly separated that he tore out his eyes and threw them into the heavens, where they have been in existence ever since.
Meanwhile, Pleiades, the Greek name for the cluster, comes from seven sisters of Greek legend, the daughters of Atlas and Pleone. This is reminiscent of some Pacific stories that say Matariki is a mother surrounded by her six daughters.
The galactic cluster is internationally recognised as it can be viewed from anywhere in the world. It acts as a key navigation beacon for ocean voyagers as well as being an important signal for seasonal celebration in many countries.
In Greece, several major temples face straight towards Matariki, as does Stonehenge in England. In Japan the Subaru brand is named after the Matariki stars.
Keep an eye out in late May / early June as Matariki rises on the northeast horizon around the same spot as the rising sun. The best time to spot Matariki is around half an hour before dawn.