Author(s): Libby Hakaraia

Maori Books

Known in other cultures by names including the Pleiades and the Seven Sisters, matariki featured strongly in pre-European New Zealand. It marked the beginning of the Maori calndar, and its rising before the sun in late May or early June was greeted with great festivals. It was used as a guide to planting and harvesting, and was studied by tohunga as an omen which told whether the food-gathering season would be plentiful or lean.Producer, director and radio presenter Libby Hakaraia has written an interesting and accessible introduction to the star group Matariki and its significance in Maoritanga. The rising of the star group Matariki into the New Zealand sky signifies the beginning of the Maori New Year â a festival which is undergoing a renaissance. All around New Zealand a growing number of events are being held to coincide with MatarikiâÂÂs appearance in the dawn sky in the middle of the year. Known in other cultures by names including the Pleiades and the Seven Sisters, Matariki featured strongly in pre-European New Zealand. It marked the beginning of the Maori calendar, and its rising before the sun in late May or early June was greeted with great festivities. It was used as a guide to planting and harvesting, and was studied by tohunga as an omen which told whether the food-gathering season would be plentiful or lean. Today more and more people are celebrating the rising of Matariki. For those who wish to join this growing movement, Libby provides suggestions on how to celebrate the Maori New Year â and, most importantly, a guide to finding Matariki in the night sky. First published 2004.