Puanga/Matariki 2024

Morning Ceremony - Free

Join us at 5:30 AM on June 28th, 2024, as we gather under the morning sky in celebration of Puanga/Matariki. This is a free family event and will run all day. starting at 5:30 am for a dawn service. We will continue the day inside with fun free art activities wrapping up at 4pm.

The Wairau Māori Art Gallery will be marking the commencement of the Puanga/Matariki by paying homage to our tupuna departed. Our event promises a morning of matuaranga, karakia, kai and fun art activities during the day.

A Dawn Welcome begins at approximately 5:30 AM. Gather around the firepit, outside our front entrance (by the fountain), as we extend a traditional welcome to all. Receive handouts and materials, setting the stage for a deeply meaningful experience. With a Karanga, we bid farewell to the darkness and collectively invoke Karakia, setting intentions for the day ahead. Led by Mana Whenua: Te Parawhau.

Te Parawhau will share insights into Matāriki, offering a deeper understanding of its cultural importance. Join us as we take a moment to remember departed loved ones who have passed in the last year.

Guests will be invited into the Wairau Māori Art Gallery exhibition 'Te Ao Hurihuri'. This exhibition presents works made by 8 of our most celebrated, iconic Māori artists. These artists and their legacy represent a resonant call that has influenced contemporary artists for decades and promises to inspire generations into the future.

• Buck Nin (Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Toa),

• Cliff Whiting (Te Whānau-ā-Apanui),

• Dame Kāterina Te Hei Koko Mataira (Ngāti Porou),

• Elizabeth Ellis (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Porou),

• Paratene Matchitt (Ngāti Porou, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, Te Whakatōhea),

• Pauline Kahurangi Yearbury (Ngāpuhi),

• Ralph Hōtere (Te Aupōuri),

• Selwyn Muru (Te Aupōuri, Ngāti Kurī)

Day Art Activities - Free

1. Join us in crafting a flag or adorning an existing one on a long string of bunting, symbolising your aspirations for the coming year or honoring the memories of the year past. These flags will be hung among the pōhutukawa trees, where the wind will carry them skyward, invoking the ancient karakia to elevate our aspirations across the heavens. This activity resonates with the stars of Matāriki, including Ururangi for the wind and kites, Tupuārangi for the tree tops, Pōhutukawa for the departed, Hiwa i te rangi for aspirations, and Matāriki for families and relationships.

2. Engage in cultural reverence at our Karakia/Waiata Corner, where simple prayers and songs are made available in printed booklets for whānau to take home and weave into their Matāriki traditions.
   

3. Create your own badge and wear your values for Puanaga/Matariki!

4. Explore stories and korero in a relaxed area for whanau.