There are nine stars in the Matariki star cluster. It has many different names around the world, and is known as the Pleiades – its ancient Greek name – or the Seven Sisters in English. The Hawaiian name is Makali‘i, or ‘eyes of royalty’, and in Japan it is Subaru, meaning ‘gathered together’. As well as being the name of the cluster of nine stars, Matariki is also the name of one of the stars within the cluster.

The star Matariki (Greek: Alcyone) signifies reflection, hope, our connection to the environment, and the gathering of people. Matariki is also connected to the health and wellbeing of people. Kaitohutohu Rautaki-ā-Iwi Strategic Advisor Iwi Relationships Watene Campbell talks about how he ponga in our collections connects to the whetū (star) Matariki. 

Mānawa maiea te putanga o Matariki
Mānawa maiea te ariki o te rangi
Mānawa maiea te mātahi o te tau

Hail the rise of Matariki
Hail the lord of the sky
Hail the New Year

Me pēnei pea taku tīmatanga kōrero, ara noa atu ngā kōrero e hāngai ana ki a Matariki. Kai tēnā iwi, kai tēnā rohe, kai tēnā whenua hoki – ōnā ake kōrero, ōnā ake mātauranga mō Matariki. Heoi anō tēnei, he kohinga kōrero nāku, nōku ka rangona, nōku ka rangahau, nōku hoki ka whakarongo ki ngā momo pēnei me Rangi Mātāmua.

Kāti ake rā. Kua rangonatia whānuitia te ingoa o Matariki, hai ingoa mō te kāhui whetū. Heoi anō, ko Matariki hoki tētahi o ngā whetū i Te Iwa o Matariki. Koia ka karangahia ko te Kāhui o Matariki. Ka moe a Matariki i a Rēhua ka puta ko āna tamariki, me te mea hoki, ko te katoa o āna tamariki he hirahira ki te Māori i te mea he pānga motuhake tā rātau ki te Ao Māori.

Ō tātau tīpuna i mārama ki tēnei momo. I mōhio rātau, ki te pīata mai ko tēnei whetū, koia te wā pai hai hauhake i ngā māra, i mōhio rātau ki ngā wā pai hai hī ika, i mōhio hoki rātau ki te tohu o te mate.

Engari mēnā rānei a Matariki e pīata mai ana, he tohu tērā o te ora. Ka karangahia tēnei ko Te Paki o Matariki. Hai tauira, pēnā te tangata ka mauiui, ā, e māhuta mai ana a Matariki, i kitea tērā hai tohu i te orangatonutanga o te tangata. I konei puta ai te whakatauki, ‘Matariki, huarahi ki te oranga tangata’. I ōnā wā, ka kitea hoki a Matariki hai tohu i te māngari nui me te waimarietanga. E tika ana kia kōrerotia hoki a Rēhua, rāua tahi he whetū kawe i te ora. Ko rāua hoki te ōrokohanga o ngā puna pupuri kōrero mō te rongoā, kei a rāua hoki te kaha ki te whakaora i te tangata.

Inā te huhua o ngā taonga a te Māori i Te Papa. Ki te whakahāngai atu i te aronga ki ngā rongoā Māori, kei konei ngā huruwhenua a Kingi Tāwhiao. Ara noa atu ngā momo, ka mutu, he rerekē ngā whakamahinga a tēnā, a tēnā. Ko te ingoa o tēnei momo ko te Ponga, heoi anō tāna, he whakaora i ngā mate kiri, pēnei me te hakihaki. Koia hoki kei a ia mō te whakaora i ngā mate ka pākia ki te whatu o te tangata.

Pēnā hoki tātau ka titiro ki ngā momo pēnei me Tuini Ngawai, koia tētahi i mōhio ki te hirahira o Matariki ki te iwi Māori. I ngā rautau 1900, i tino aupēhi te iwi Māori. Nō te tau 1960, tito ai a Tuini Ngawai i te waiata ‘tō aroha’. Kia tīkina atu ngā rārangi nō tana waiata e mea ana, “Horahia e Matariki ki te whenua. Te māramatnga mō te motu e. Kia tipu he puawai hōnore. Mō te pani, mō te rawakore e.”

He kupu whakakipa ēnei, kia haehae ngā hihi o Matariki ki runga ki te whenua hai manaaki, hai tauwhiro i te hunga rawakore, i ngā whānau hoki e noho pani ana. Kai te rangonatia tonutia tēnei waiata i ēnei rā, e mea ana ahakoa te tōnga mai o te rā, me te aranga mai o te ata, ko Matariki ka noho hai tohu i te ora, ahakoa te aha.

Hai whakakōpani ake i tēnei wāhi ki a au, ka takina rā te kawa ki a Matariki.

E ara Matariki i te ata hāpara,
te kaiwhakahaere o te kāhui.
Homai tō manawa ora
hei oranga mō te whenua,
hei oranga mō te tangata,
hei oranga mō te ao katoa. 

Whano, whano,
haramai te toki ata huakirangi!
Haumi, e!
Hui, e!
Tāiki, e!

Top image credit: Te whānau Matariki. Image by Te Haunui Tuna, 2016, supplied by Rangi Matamua

Further reading

• Find out about the connections to our collections for the other stars in the Matariki star cluster
• Explore Matariki in full