LZ1 Matariki Assembly

 This week LZ1 I inquired about Matariki. Each class presented their learning at Assembly.

We began the week making and sharing Harvest Soup....a traditional way to celebrate Matariki.

At assembly, Mrs Jefferson's class shared a collaborative report about Matariki.

Matariki Report LZ1PJ

Matariki is a cluster of stars that are found in the New Zealand sky from June 19th to July 11th this year. These dates change annually and next year, for the first time, New Zealand has a public holiday on June 24th.

There are nine stars that we know of in the Matariki cluster.

Their names are Matariki, Waiti, Waita, Waipunarangi, Tupuanuku, Tupuarangi, Ururangi, Pohutukawa and Hiwa-i-te Rangi. There are millions of stars in the Matariki cluster but only nine are visible to the human eye.

 

The stars of Matariki have their own meanings. Matariki means the health and wellbeing of people. Pohutukawa is the star associated with those that have passed on. Waiti means food from fresh water. Waita means the ocean and the food that we get from it. Waipunarangi is associated with weather and the rain. Tupuanuku means the things that grow underground. Tupuarangi means the things that grow and live in the trees. Ururangi means the fresh wind that refreshes you. Hiwai-te-rangi represents wishes and aspirations.

You can see the Matariki stars in the eastern  sky. They appear around 6:30am and disappear when the sky turns orange. You can see the Matariki stars just left of where the sun rises. They can be seen in every part of the world but at different times depending on where you are. In English, it is called the Pleiades (its ancient Greek name) or the Seven Sisters. The Hawaiian name is Makali'i, or 'eyes of royalty', and in Japan it is Subaru, meaning 'gathered together'. So as you can see Matariki stars can be recognised around the world.

There are many different legends about Matariki. One of the most popular legends is the Seven Kites, a story about the seven kites that flew into the gloomy night sky. The Seven sisters handmade each kite and they were all different in their own ways. The kites had an element each. which created Matariki. The elements were the things that live in the trees, kai, weather, seawater, freshwater, relationships, and last but not least, Matariki which represented health and wellbeing. There are many legends of Matariki, and this is one variation.

Matariki is celebrated today by spending time with friends and whanau. During Matariki people feast on kai that maybe was grown in the springtime. Another feast people do is called a Hangi which is like cooking things underground. Lanterns are made to put outside for crafts and also to recycle pumpkin scraps from the feast. You can look at the stars and spot Matariki at 6:30am when they come out in the early morning sky.

These are some of the ways to celebrate Matariki.

So as you can see, Matariki is a special time to spend with whanau and friends, celebrating what is known as the Maori New Year.

Miss Huntingford's class read Matariki poems and shared their art.

Mrs Forlong's class shared their Matariki weaving and baking.

Mr Grice's class shared their learning about how Matariki can be celebrated flying manu tukutuku.