Puanga & Matariki: what it means for Hone
Opening with a karakia, our Mātauranga Lead, Hone, shares with us what Puanga and Matariki mean for him.
Photo taken on Saturday 13 June at Parihaka during the Puanga Kairau kaupapa.
Puanga is the star just above the cloud feather (Te Raukura), next to the Taranaki summit.
Ā tērā Puanga ka rewa ki te pae, to the new year, that Papatūānuku reaches for
Nau mai haere mai te hua o te tau hou, welcome to the fruits of the new year
Takiri te ata, ka pua te ata. As we step into the new realm that embodies us
Ko te korihi manu tino awatea, The chorus of birds clears the awakening day
Tui, tui, tuituiā, stitch, stitch, stitch connections of life, of death
Ka tangi mai, te ko, ko, Korimako The Korimako calls, tis the season
I te ata, tū, tū, ka takatū the morning is near, and I am ready.
Kia wātea, kia wātea, ae rā kua wātea. Clear the way, we shall clear.
Hau Paimārie. Peacefulness
“For me, Matariki/Puanga signifies the change of season, a celebration for Māori.
We are a journeying race, evolving practically and spiritually for the health of our Mokopuna, Tamariki, acknowledging Ranginui, Papatūānuku and our environment as sovereign Mana Whenua.
The Matariki cluster leads the gigantic star formation of a waka (Matariki at the very front of the waka, and Puanga near the end). The waka is so big and long across the sky, so the north of the North Island and Taranaki use the Puanga Star, and the East Coast uses the Matariki Star.
This year in Parihaka, Puanga brought an early-morning vegetable Hangi. We opened up the new grounds and infrastructure for the Marae; here we karakia and open the baskets of food, so our atua feed off the steam. We then celebrate after our Atua are acknowledged. We the people wananga Puanga, and plan for a better future for our unborn.
Puanga/Matariki acknowledges family members that we lost during the year, transitioning into stars, calling their name after karakia (letting them go), also reviewing the year ending, to conclude where we are as the waka disappears into the night to decorate the sky.
The cluster of stars from Matariki would show signs of environmental changes to come, a dry year, a low-yielding māra, this has been our tikanga, our mātauranga.
Puanga/Matariki, from learning from the past, and planning for the future, we shape our day. Te Maramataka is a star-structured tikanga of generations, for our Tamariki Mokopuna (Children and Mokopuna), follow our teachings.” - Hone Toia, Mārauranga Lead.
Visit the Parihaka Puanga Kai Rau Festival Facebook page for more! (See below.)
