In the Maori language MATARIKI is the name of the Pleiades star cluster.The two meanings for the name Matariki; they are 'Small Eyes' and 'Eyes of God'. The constellation is also believed to have been used by navigators to find their way across the vast ocean as they travel on their canoes.
The Matariki star cluster contains more than 1000 stars, but only seven to nine can be in the night sky .
Why is Matariki important?
Traditionally, depending on the visibility of Matariki, the coming season’s crop was thought to be determined by it. The farmers use this to decide on the type of crops to plant. The brighter the stars indicated the warmer the season would be and thus a more productive crop. It was also seen as an important time for family to gather and reflect on the past and the future.
For me, Matariki is an important time to learn about whakapapa (ancestry), the land, the stars, and what it is to be Maori.
Tena koe Arahura
ReplyDeleteTino pai rawa o whakaaro. Ae, tika tau ko Matariki te timatatanga o te tau hou Maori. E whakapono tatou ngai Maori ki to tatou tupuna a ratou matauranga me nga taonga i tuku iho . Na reira, kia kaha, kia maia i runga i to rangahua ara whainga hoki.