First Matariki holiday marked across New Zealand and the world
Oho mai ana te motu i te rangi nei ki te hararei tūmatanui motuhake tuatahi o Aotearoa, Te Rā Aro ki a Matariki, me te hono atu a te Pirīmia a Jacinda Ardern ki ngā mahi whakanui a te motu i tētahi huihuinga mō te Hautapu i te ata nei.
Hei tā Jacinda Ardern, “He tino rā tēnei, kaua mō Aotearoa anake, engari mō te ao nui tonu i a tātou ka whakanui i tā tātou hararei tūmatanui Māori tūturu, kua tautokohia nei e te tini whāioio.”
“Hiranga ana tā tātou takahi whakamua i te rangi nei e mārama ake ai tātou ki te take i ahurei ai tō tātou whenua, i tuia ai ō tātou iwi.
“Hāunga ia ngā tikanga tuku iho a te marea mō Matariki, e mōhio ana au kei te hanga tuatahi mai ētahi i ā rātou tikanga. Ka toro tēnei ki ētahi nō konei e noho ana ki tāwāhi, neke atu i te 20 ngā kāinga māngai kāwanatanga o Aoteroa ka whakanui i a Matariki huri i te ao, e paku wheako ai te ao i tō tātou tuakiri ā-motu.
Hei tā Jacinda Ardern, “Ka rere aku mihi ki ngā iwi, ngā hapū, ngā whānau me ngā kaipupuri mātauranga i whakawātea i a rātou ki te tautoko, ki te tuku mātauranga e āta kōrerohia ai, e arohia ai, e mārama ake ai tātou mō Matariki – kia pai ai te whakanuia tahitia e te motu.”
Hei tā te Minita o Te Arawhiti a Kelvin Davis, e whakaatu ana a Matariki i te mātauranga Māori kua heke iho i ngā whakatipuranga.
Hei tāna, “I ngā rā o nehe ko Matariki te wā e whakawhetai ai a ngāi Māori mō ngā painga o te tau ka hori, e tūhonohono anō ai tētahi ki tētahi.”
“Koinei te hiahia mō te iwi nui tonu – te whakakaha ake i te taura tangata o te whānau, o te hapori, o ngā hoa kōtui.
Hei tā Kelvin Davis, “Haere ake nei kua pai tā tātou whakapūmau i tētahi hararei o te motu motuhake ki a Aotearoa ki ā tātou maramataka e kauawhi ana i ngā iwi katoa.”
Hei tā te Minita Tuarua mō te Toi, te Ahurea & te Tukuihotanga a Kiritapu Allan, tohua ana e Matariki te tīmatanga o te tau hou Māori, e tika ana kia whakanuia, kia ako tonu tātou mō Matariki i tēnei wā ahu atu ki tua.
Hei tā Kiritapu Allan, “He tīmatanga noa rā tēnei, e mōhio ana au e rere ana te hiahia kia rerekē anō te āhua o tā tātou i mahi ai, nō reira kawea ake te mānuka kia haere whakamua ai i tēnei wā hiamo mō Aotearoa.”
“Mō ā tātou tamariki rā, kua kore rātou e mate ki te whakaaroaro ki te hiranga, ki te tikanga o Matariki, kua whakapūmautia hoki ki ngā whatumanawa me ngā hinengaro o ngā whakatipuranga kei te piki ake.”
I manaakitia e Te Papa Tongarewa te Hautapu me te Kauhau Ōkawa i te ata nei i kauhautia e Te Pirīmia e Jacinda Ardern rāua ko te kaiārahi o Te Matapunenga, e Ahorangi Tā Pou Temara hei tohu i te hiranga o te whakanuia tahitia o Matariki.
The country has awoken today to its first distinctly New Zealand public holiday, Te Rā Aro ki a Matariki, with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern joining the nation’s celebrations at a traditional Hautapu ceremony early this morning.
“This is a special day not only for Aotearoa but globally as we celebrate our first authentically Māori public holiday, which has been met with overwhelming support,” Jacinda Ardern said.
“Today we take another meaningful step forward in understanding what makes us unique as a country, and what holds us together as a nation.
“While many will already have Matariki traditions, I know others will be creating their own for the first time. That extends to Kiwis living abroad as over 20 New Zealand embassies host Matariki celebrations around the globe, giving the world a taste of our national identity.
“I thank all those iwi, hapū, whānau and mātauranga holders for giving their time, support and knowledge to ensure Matariki is shared, acknowledged and better understood – to allow us all to celebrate as a nation together,” Jacinda Ardern said.
Minister for Māori Crown Relations: Te Arawhiti Kelvin Davis said Matariki was a proud illustration of mātauranga Māori or Māori knowledge that has been passed down generationally.
“Traditionally Matariki was a time where Māori would give thanks for all the blessings of the past year and reconnect with one another,” Kelvin Davis said.
“This is what we want for our nation – strengthening whānau bonds and community relationships and partnerships.
“From today onwards we can annually embed into our calendars a national holiday that is unique to Aotearoa and is inclusive of all of our people,” Kelvin Davis said.
Associate Minister for Arts, Culture & Heritage Kiritapu Allan said Matariki signalled the start of the Māori new year and it was only right that we celebrate and learn more about Matariki now and into the future.
“This is just the beginning and I know there is an appetite for us to do things differently and we must be up for the challenge in order to move forward in what is an exciting time for Aotearoa,” Kiritapu Allan said.
“Especially for our children, who will not have to think twice about the significance or the meaning of Matariki as it will be entrenched into the hearts and minds of generations to come,” Kiritapu Allan said.
Te Papa Tongarewa hosted the Hautapu Ceremony and the Official Address this morning delivered by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Te Matapūnenga leader Professor Sir Pou Temara marked the importance of celebrating Matariki together.