[ad_1]
There are no rules that tell people how to celebrate Matariki, and doing some could be quite “dangerous,” thinks one expert.
If re-elected, the Labor Party plans to introduce a public holiday in Matariki by 2022.
Stuff launched a campaign in July arguing that Aotearoa is behind in a unifying holiday to honor the country’s past and celebrate the future, and calling for the creation of a Matariki Day.
Dr. Rangi Mātāmua, a Maori astronomer and professor at the University of Waikato, compared the season to Christmas and the variety of ways people celebrate the holiday season.
“How do you celebrate Christmas? Some people go to Mass, some people share gifts, some people just go to the beach.
“It’s a little dangerous to tell people how to celebrate something,” he said. Stuff.
The Maori New Year period is about unity, sharing and caring for one another. Any festive celebration should aim to recognize these principles, said Mātāmua.
Kavinda Herath / Things
Last year, a Matariki Torchlight Hikoi was held in Queenstown.
Laura O’Connell Rapira of Action Station, who helped secure 30,000 signatures on a petition calling for the holiday, agreed.
“As a practice, it invites people to slow down, to spend time with their loved ones, to remember people who have passed away.”
For more than two decades, Ngāti Kahungunu in Hawke’s Bay has been using fireworks to celebrate the new year. However, this type of commemoration is not suitable for everyone.
Ngāti Kahungunu’s event manager Te Rangi Huata said that the way he branded Matariki at home or in his community could be quite different than someone else’s choice.
“I’m not looking for a McDonald’s version where everything is the same, but a fruit salad version of Matariki where each area has its own way of tasting the fruit.”
Simon Woolf / Supplied
A fireworks display in Wellington lights up the sky every year to celebrate Matariki.
You would like to see kiwis and their regions enjoy unique celebrations. A one-size-fits-all approach is not the way to go, he said.
Mātāmua, who is from Ngāi Tūhoe and was awarded the prestigious Prime Minister’s Science Communicator Award in June for his work to raise awareness of Matariki, found no problem with using fireworks to celebrate the season.
“If people want to make fireworks, please do so by all means.”
Supplied
Dr. Rangi Mātāmua, an expert in Maori astronomy, was the first Maori to win the prestigious Prime Minister’s science awards.
He chooses to celebrate the season with traditional ceremonies and practices in his local community. They cook seasonal food and shout the names of the people who have died since the last Matariki uprising to say goodbye to them.
To provide context for those unfamiliar with Matariki, Mātāmua again compared it to the Christmas and New Year period.
“Matariki for our ancestors is more or less the same … that is probably the best way to give context to people.”
Municipalities across the country have hosted public events for years, from fireworks displays to kapa haka festivals. These events, spearheaded by Auckland City Council in 2000, have brought celebrations to the masses and raised awareness of their significance.
Mike Paku, president of the board of Te taiwhenau or heretanga, hoped that a holiday would not market the season. He would like the celebrations to reflect the evolution of the face of Maori in New Zealand.
“I have European grandchildren, I have Lebanese grandchildren, I have Samoan grandchildren and Maori grandchildren.
“[It’s about] making sure that as a country we can all enjoy the day. “
