Matariki Writing

🌟Matariki And Her Stars🌟

Matariki is a cluster of stars that appears in the sky in June and July of each year.

In some other countries, Matariki is known as Pleiades. When you see these stars

it signifies a time to celebrate the Maori New Year.  A time for friends and whanau

to get together and share kai and harvest crops. The stars are known as the seven

sisters. Some of the stars in the cluster are Matariki, Ururangi, Waitī, and

Tupuānuku.

Matariki

Matariki is the oldest whetu and whaea of the other stars in the cluster. She

represents oranga(well being) and celebrates Matariki with whanau and

hoa(friends). Matariki is the connection to the taiao(environment).She is the whetu

who will help us remember the ones who have passed on.

Waitī

Waitī is the whetu that is tied to the kai moana in freshwater, like tuna(eels) and

freshwater ika(fish). Waitī sits above Waitā, her twin in the star cluster, because

fresh water flows down from the mountains into salt water.

Ururangi 

Ururangi is the papa to the other stars in the cluster.  He is the whetu that is

connected to the weather, and determines how windy it will be. Ururangi reminds

us of attitude, and how important it is. This whetu and Waipuna-ā-rangi have a

special relationship and can balance each other out. The rain and wind appear

from above the Earth, and that's why they are placed above the other stars of the

Matariki cluster.

Tupuānuku

Tupuānuku is the whetu that can care for everything growing in the soil that can

be used to make rangoā(Medicine) and kākahau(Clothing materials.) She pays

special attention to making sure the soil has everything in it that can help it grow

plants and crops for the up-coming year.

The Matariki star cluster is very important to everyone in New Zealand.

By Luella Marusich