The theme for this year's Matariki holiday is 'Matariki ma Puanga'
highlighting the communities who observe the star Puanga in their
astronomical traditions


Puanga is the star Rigel, the brightest star in the Orion constellation. In
the late autumn and early winter night sky Matariki is seen below Puanga and
to the left of Tautoru (the three stars of Orion's Belt).


While it is visible throughout the year, Puanga becomes especially prominent
in the evening sky towards the end of autumn and in the predawn sky during
the first month of the Maori new year.


Puanga will feature at this year's nationally broadcast hautapu ceremony
hosted by Ngati Rangi at the base of Ruapehu.


Ngati Rangi spokesperson and leading Puanga expert Che Wilson said it was an honour for the iwi to host the ceremony and to be a part of the work that has been done over the past few years by Professor Rangi Matamua and all the host iwi - from Te Ati Awa and Ngati Toa to Te Arawa and last year Ngai Tahu.


Traditional stories related to Puanga are shared across many iwi across Aotearoa but are prominent on the western side of Te Ika a Maui, including among the iwi of Taranaki, Whanganui and Rangitikei.


The North Island's main divide of the Tararua, Ruahine and Kaimanawa ranges separates the island's weather systems so Puanga gives iwi on the western
side a better read on how to prepare for the year ahead, Wilson said.


"The reason we look to Puanga isn't because we can't see Matariki, there are parts of the region where you can't, but actually the reason we look to
Puanga is because Puanga gives us a better read for the weather on the west coast," he said.


Wilson said traditionally iwi on the west coast would start to observe
changes in the weather during autumn, while the months around Matariki were a time to wananga, to meet and deliberate.


"The thing is that Puanga and Matariki aren't that different, a lot of it is nuance. We do have a separate ceremony done the month before called Te Maru o te Tau where we send all of our mate with the setting sun to the po, and
that's when we call out our names."


Matariki and Puanga have always gone together in karakia, Wilson said. They also look to other celestial bodies such as the Southern Cross, Atutahi (Canopus) and Rehua (Antares).


"In our karakia we acknowledge Matariki during the mate, as we acknowledge those that have passed, because they become part of te huihui o Matariki. So that's our reference to Matariki but the remainder of the ceremony is
actually focussed in on looking at Puanga."


Wilson said it was a beautiful thing that New Zealand is starting to
recognise both Matariki and Puanga.


"It's a chance for everybody to go out and send intention to whoever you may call your atua and to make that connection to nature, to the environment."


The ceremony
Wilson said this year's hautapu ceremony will differ slightly from those broadcast in previous years.


After the opening of the ceremony the next step is te takiritanga o nga mate, invoking those people who have died in the last year, he said.


"We don't call out our mate but we then invoke them to transition to become stars."


Next is the hautapu proper, the offering of food. But Wilson said instead of offering food to the stars they are offered to four atua or deities, Tane, Tangaroa, Rongo and Maru.


"So we give to atua rather than stars, though those atua are also shown in
the sky at that time."


The last part of the ceremony is the whakapumautanga, where a pou or post is placed into the ground. Wilson said those reciting the karakia bind the pou with intention as they "commit ourselves to our tupuna, to our atua and to nature."


rnz.co.nz

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