As part of this year’s Matariki celebrations, Public Programming Specialist, Kaupapa Māori Aroha Matchitt-Millar (Ngāti Rangitihi, Ngāti Tarāwhai, Ngāi Tūhoe) talks about her connection to mātauranga Māori and shares her kōrero about this year’s theme, Matariki Heri Kai, the feast of Matariki. This piece originally appeared in The Post on Wednesday 5 June.
Kua tae mai nei
Ko Whatatōhea, Ngāti Rangitihi, Ngāti Tarāwhai, Ngāi Tūhoe toku iwi
Ko Greg Millar toku pāpā
Ko Gina Matchitt toku māmā
Ko Aroha Millar toku ingoa
I’ve had a connection to ngā toi Māori and the arts all my life. My nannies were weavers and my māmā is an artist, so I was immersed in museums from a young age. In 2018, I was part of a group of art history students that worked alongside art curators for the Tony Fomison exhibition at Te Papa; I have a bachelor’s degree in Māori Visual Arts, my Masters is underway, and in my own mahi toi, I skin birds for their feathers which are used in kaiwhatu practice.
A year ago, I joined Te Papa as a Public Programming Specialist, focusing on Kaupapa Māori. This year, I’m producing my first series of Matariki programmes for Te Papa; throughout June, we’ll host renowned experts and taiao practitioners for a weekly talk series.
Usually found in the bush or moana, immersed in kai Māori practices, it’s a rare opportunity to hear from environmental specialists of such high calibre. Each will share their expertise and kōrero about kai Māori practices, while highlighting and bringing to life taonga from Te Papa’s collection.
A favourite taonga of mine from the collection is a kō. This tool was used to turn over hard soil in preparation for planting. The handle is carved into a crescent moon shape, signalling the best time for the tool to be used.
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Kō (digging implement), 19th century, Taupō, maker unknown. Augustus Hamilton Collection. Purchased 1914. Te Papa (ME000462)
This is a beautiful example of taonga holding mātauranga according to the Maramataka. Matariki is part of this calendar, and the star cluster is intrinsically linked to hauora and the environment.
He ua ki te pō, he tuna ki te ao
Another example of taonga related to kai Māori is the tuna. The whetū Waitī is one of the stars in the Matariki star cluster. Freshwater species can be expected when Waitī shines bright, including the tuna. Māori learned from and created deep ties to te taiao, and the tuna were – and continue to be – an important food source.
The tuna’s ability to transform and adapt make them one of my favourite animals. When getting ready to return to their birthplace, their eyes change to see better in the dark and salty water, and their fins transform to allow them to swim better. Despite being known as water dwellers; they traverse and slither across land.
He ua ki te pō, he tuna ki te ao is a whakataukī that loosely means Rain at night, tuna in the morning, and is often used to describe a tactical strategy for catching tuna.
My affinity for the tuna began when I was 5 years old, and my older cousin took me to the river with raw eggs stolen from our nan. After searching for the perfect riverbank spot, we cracked the eggs in the floating grass and soon, three huge tuna arrived to feast.
We didn’t catch them – at the time I probably didn’t even know you could eat tuna. We just sat in the mud watching them, fully amazed and in awe of these big creatures that looked like they had tiny rows of teeth.
Matariki at Te Papa
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