Kiaora Matariki Puaka

Written By: - Date published: 4:20 pm, June 17th, 2016 - 27 comments
Categories: culture, election 2017, heritage, Politics, quality of life - Tags: , ,

It’s been a hard week, and many of us could do with some kindness and good news. Let’s take a moment to remember Matariki. What would Standardistas and other politically progressive people like to see for the coming year?

Matariki is the Māori name for the cluster of stars also known as the Pleiades. Puaka is the principle star down South (aka Rigel in the Orion system). Both are celebrated when they first reappear in the winter sky, usually at the corresponding new moon, and mark the start of the Māori new year (this year’s new moon was June 6th).

In traditional cultures mid winter is a time to come together, tell stories, share understandings, and make plans for the coming year. It’s natural to spend less time out there doing, and more time in here contemplating, sharing, and preparing for the busier times ahead.

What would Standardistas (authors, commenters and readers) like to see for the coming year? By this time next year we will be gearing up for the election campaign. We will be another year along the path of climate change. We will have had another year of fighting and delighting each other on all things political. What have we learned from the year past, and what do we hope for going forward?

Matariki also comes after the harvest season has finished, when the food stores are more bountiful. What are the things we are grateful for, where we feel we have done well and built something good?

Many places in NZ now have Matariki and Puaka festivals, often over the whole month.

And something for the astronomy geeks.

 

matarikistars

 

27 comments on “Kiaora Matariki Puaka ”

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  1. Rosie 1
    17 June 2016 at 4:56 pm

    Speaking of events in the stars, I would recommend anyone interested in astronomy visit Aotearoa Henge:

    http://www.stonehenge-aotearoa.co.nz/About+Us.html

    Listening to Maori stories of the seasons and stars is fascinating. The people that own the henge (more like the guardians of the henge really) are the type of people that love to share their knowledge. Well worth a visit if you’re down/up Wairarapa way.

    What I’d like to see for the coming year is a continuation of the painfully slowly growing awareness within the public and msm that NZ is an increasingly divided, impoverished and unsettled shadow of it’s former self.

    I want this awareness to grow into a momentum that touches ordinary people. There have been signs of this over summer just gone, there has been a lot of protest in unexpected places. I want to see this knowledge building up like a wave and people asking what they can do about it. I want this to align with powerfully smart campaigning from the opposition.

    I get the feeling that things (don’t ask what my evidence is, I feel it in me waters) will get worse before we make headway. Globally too. But overseas ordinary people are standing up, Black Lives Matter, Debout Nuit (not sure of spelling!)French protesting as well over labour law changes, the Icelandics called for the resignation of the PM over the Panama Papers and got it, The Americans feeling the Bern, the English have protested over trade union law changes and have protested and asked for the resignation of Cameron (didn’t get it but next time perhaps).

    Happy Matariki folks, good luck in your new endeavours for the new year. (We are having major changes in our lives, personally, in our house, part of which is to do with harnessing winter festive energy) Stay strong!

    • weka 1.1
      17 June 2016 at 8:42 pm

      “I want to see this knowledge building up like a wave and people asking what they can do about it. I want this to align with powerfully smart campaigning from the opposition.”

      I would really welcome more conversation about this Rosie. It seems like we have waves of momentum, and then gaps. What can we do to fill the gaps or at least tide us over?

      • Rosie 1.1.1
        18 June 2016 at 9:46 am

        Big question weka. I’ll need to get back to you to discuss with the attention the topic deserves. Out and about for the weekend now. There are indeed waves and troughs.

        Kia Ora.

  2. stunned mullet 2
    17 June 2016 at 6:39 pm

    “What would Standardistas and other politically progressive people like to see for the coming year?”

    Len Brown doing dancing for the stars.

  3. Bill 3
    17 June 2016 at 6:40 pm

    The hippy in me says I can’t hex the New Year by talking about it when there’s a few days of the old one still to run by my reckoning 😉

    • Pasupial 3.1
      18 June 2016 at 7:49 am

      This solstice is on the 21st, which’d make the 22nd; Southern Hemisphere New Year’s Day. This year, the family have been planning on having a Yule Feast on the shortest night (when stodgy Xmas recipes will make sense). Maybe even with a tinselled up tree if we can dig it out of the garage “storage” pile in time, but definitely with stories and pressies for the kids.

      If you’re in Dunedin this eve, there’s the lantern festival in the Octagon (starts at 6pm, but best to be there earlier); bring your own food and a thermos, because the queues are too much.

      http://www.midwintercarnival.co.nz/

      Merry Matariki everyone!

  4. red-blooded 4
    17 June 2016 at 6:47 pm

    Hmmm… What am I grateful for? Well, I’m sure as hell grateful that I live in a country which doesn’t sell submachine guns to just anyone who wants them (and, perhaps because of that, that not many people want them).

    I think we have to be ready to work for what we want to see. We can’t all cover all issues, but we can all respect each others’ priorities and agree that in general we want a more caring, inclusive and empowering society and that we know we need to take more care of our planet and of other species as well as each other.

    Kia kaha!

  5. KJT 5
    17 June 2016 at 9:21 pm

    I hope that we as a country have a wave of compassion and concern for our homeless, disadvantaged and poverty stricken mates.

    And vote for more taxes, on those who can afford it, and redistribution, to bring back a fair society.

  6. Gael 6
    17 June 2016 at 9:33 pm

    Keeping Salisbury school open and letting them have a full roll again. Why is HP so hell bent on closing it? For the past five years she has been gunning for the place it seems, and it is such a worthwhile place, just like Redcliffs school too.. Gotta wonder who wants the realestate and what for…

  7. mickysavage 7
    17 June 2016 at 10:00 pm

    That Aotearoa, a land of plenty, makes sure that all of its residents have a home to live in …

  8. Jenny 8
    17 June 2016 at 11:12 pm

    That in the spirit of Tiakitanga that debate on climate change is never marginalised in in the coming year leading up to the elections.

    As least not as as shamelessly as it was at the Green Party conference over Queen’s Birthday Weekend.

  9. Colonial Viper 9
    18 June 2016 at 1:12 am

    Real political alternatives please

  10. Robert Guyton 10
    18 June 2016 at 7:44 am

    In the spirit of Matariki and its two principal figures, Rongomatane and Haumiatiketike, I hope to see and plan to inspire an upsurge in the cultivation of food plants by people across the country; gardens so full of vegetables that sharing them about the neighbourhood will be the only way to manage the bounty, Council ‘wastelands’ bristling with young fruit and nut trees providing free and rewarding foraging for anyone who might be hungry and not able to grow their own, berms planted with citrus and berries or whatever thrives in your part of the country, planters in cities filled with kale and parsley, mint and oregano that busy workers can pick as they pass. We can do this, ourselves, without funding or permission. It’s a simple and powerful way to lift everyone up; our health, our enjoyment of our surroundings and our feelings of inclusiveness and community. I’m doing it, I know plenty of people who are doing it and I’m confident that readers here are, will, would and, dare I say it, should plant for the good of all 🙂 Kiaora tatou

    Ka puta Matariki ka rere Whānui.
    Ko te tohu tēnā o te tau e!

    • Stunned mullet 10.1
      18 June 2016 at 8:09 am

      I like your idea very much indeed mr guyton.

    • weka 10.2
      18 June 2016 at 9:14 am

      Ka rawe tēnā mahi!

    • mauī 10.3
      19 June 2016 at 5:35 pm

      Yeah! Visited a community garden today that had beds of kale, cabbage, parsley, carrot and some other stuff I wasn’t sure on. No fruit trees yet I don’t think. They collect food waste by bicycle from local food shops to turn into compost on site. This is the future.

      On another point, some Councils are being accepting of planting fruit trees and starting community vege gardens, but others don’t really want to know about it. This is a real shame, there only has to be one person in a government structure who says no all the time to really halt progress on something what will be beneficial for much of the local community.

  11. Robert Guyton 11
    18 June 2016 at 8:13 am

    Thank you, Stunned.

  12. Takere 12
    19 June 2016 at 9:12 am

    Ka pai cuz!

  13. save nz 13
    19 June 2016 at 10:11 am

    Fairness and justice for all.

    Going back to NZ roots as a social democracy.

    A caring society.

    Cronies being left out in the cold.

    John and Max Key and family migrate to the USA or Panama.

    Bernie Sanders somehow becoming president (we can dream – maybe Clinton has an epiphany and gives up politics – who knows).

    Corbyn gets in the UK.

    A change of government here in NZ to a Labour/Green/NZ First coalition.

    Hone Hawawira gets back into parliament for Maori.

    Rethinking the environment and starting to value it.

    Instead of TPP agreements to increase inequality – instead global agreements to have peace, harmony and respect the environment and try to have a LONG term approach to governing and global peace.

    Enforce the 1969/1973 boundaries of Israel and end the apartheid there. This would then remove the legitimacy and ideology of radical Islam spreading in the middle East and around the world. This which will in turn help bring the western troops home and stop bombing the middle East. Therefore the migration/refugee crisis and division in the West from this happening would cease and governments could spend more time on domestic affairs and long term co operation on climate change and peaceful co operation.

  14. weka 14
    19 June 2016 at 10:28 am

    One thing I’ve noticed in the past year is a change in the debate standard on The Standard. I think there is less bickering and long drawn out arguments micro-focussed in minutiae that are often about misunderstandings or slights. There also seem to be less derailments of the troll variety. I’m guessing some of that is due to changes in moderation, and some of it due to commenters making different decisions. I hope we can build on this and focus on the quality of communication as much as the robustness of the debate.

    I’m feeling heartened by the apparent shift politically in NZ. The L/G agreement is a big, bold move that lifts our game considerably, but I think there were other changes happening anyway, and that National and the whole greed is good ethos is finally being exposed for the incompetent and useless mess that it is. More mainstream journalism is trying to find its integrity again, and more journalists are doing the right things. Increasingly people are appalled by what they are seeing from the government.

    This we can build on (Rosie, names this above too) and I’m hoping that we can have some conversations about what that might mean here on The Standard. This is the biggest left wing blog in the country, I think we can be proud of that and acknowledge what a real achievement it is. That’s due to the long standing authors and guest posters and the commenters. The commentary has influence as well. Posts go up, we wrangle with them, and we develop ideas here and take them out into the world. That means something and we shouldn’t forget that.

    • weka 15.1
      19 June 2016 at 5:27 pm

      Great read, thanks marty.

      The new moon bit is interesting. I assumed it was new moon because that was the easiest time to see Matariki rising early on ie when the sky is at its darkest.