Matariki, the Māori New Year

Matariki, the Māori New Year

Matariki is the Māori name for the star formation Pleiades that rises in last week of May or first week of June. This year it is clearly visible on 22 June. This coincides with the end of summer and the beginning of winter. Matariki is also the Māori New Year.

Historically pātaka, or store and food houses, held the food collected, planted and harvested throughout the year. Māramataka, or calendars, were used by Māori as a guide to the best times to plant and harvest foods, or hunt and fish. Māramataka are still used today. The calendar year concludes with the rising of Matariki. Other iwi also used star clusters such as Pūanga or Rigel to mark the new year.

Both the Alexander Turnbull Library and the National Library of New Zealand have resources on Matariki in Māori newspapers, journals and periodicals, manuscripts, archives and photographs. Some of these resources have been digitised and can be freely accessed online. This image from the diary of Donald McLean is a description of Māori astrological signs by Wiremu Kingi. Kingi, from Taranaki iwi, shared this information in 1846.

Donald McLean (1820-1877) was one of the most influential people in mid-19th century New Zealand history. He was a dominant figure in relations between Māori and the Government during this tumultuous period. The McLean papers are a rich source of primary material for understanding historical Māori-Government relations.

Read more about Māori astronomy in McLean's diaries

More about Matariki – Te Ara Encyclopedia

Matariki events

Permission of the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga O Aotearoa, must be obtained before any reuse of this image

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