Matariki is nearly upon us: A time to gather with our whānau, share kai, admire the stars and reminisce about the year that was.
Māori New Year will be a public holiday next year, so now is the perfect time to celebrate the significance of this holiday and learn about its importance to Māori culture.
As we enter the Matariki period, one of the best ways to mark it is to get to know some of the many talented Māori content creators and business owners who are making their mark on Aotearoa.
The team at Facebook have put together a digital calendar so you can see how some of the country's favourite personalities are marking Matariki, all from the comfort of your whare.
Thursday, 24 June: Raniera Rewiri from Plant-Based Māori
Raniera Rewiri, also known as Instagram's Plant-Based Māori, is the owner and founder of Tupuanuku, a vegan catering company in the Eastern Bay of Plenty. Known for his delicious recipes and personal journey of discovering the importance of connection with the land, Raniera is the perfect person to kick off the Matariki calendar. Head over to @plantbasedmaori on Instagram to join Raniera for a kōrero of why he named his business after a Matariki star and the significance this holds for his lifestyle.
Friday, 25 June: Mummas Kitchen
Kirsten Holtz from Mummas Kitchen is a lovable character, well known for sharing her delicious recipes and providing entertainment to her community of over 40,000 followers. Assisted by her daughter Brooke-Lyn, the mother and daughter duo from Whangārei have put smiles on the faces of many people by sharing yummy recipes such as Māori enchiladas and fried bread. Check out Mummas Kitchen on 25 June as she shares how her whānau celebrate Matariki with kai. You'll even get to see how to prepare and smoke a fish.
Saturday, 26 June: One Minute Gardening with Adrian Sutherland
For tips on seasonal planting and harvesting, head over to One Minute Gardening with Adrian Sutherland! Adrian shares regular one-minute videos full of tips and tricks that encourage you to get your hands dirty and embrace your inner green thumb. Visit Adrian's page on Saturday June 26 to hear his take on Matariki and advice on planting and growing vegetables at this time of year.
Sunday, 27 June: Lamorna Pukepuke Ahitapu Rogers from By Māori
Lamorna is one of four admins of the Māori small business Facebook group 'By Māori'. These admins volunteer their time to tautoko pakihi in any way they can. Ka pai! Check out 'By Māori' on Facebook and join 42,000 other Kiwis dedicated to supporting incredible Māori business owners. Lamorna is posting each day of the first moon cycle of the new year (10 June - 9 July), to teach us a little about the moon that day, maramataka and Matariki, and to promote Māori businesses.
Tuesday, 29 June: Renee Paku from Auahatia
Winter is upon us and it can get a little chilly leaving the whare! Why not head over to local Māori knitwear designer, Auahatia on Instagram and pick yourself and your whānau up some winter warmers? Renee Pakau has released a Matariki themed hat pattern, in colourways representing each star of Matariki. She will be doing an update of her shop on 29 June, with her limited edition beanie bound to sell out quickly!
Wednesday, 30 June: Dr Hinemoa Elder
Join psychiatrist and former television presenter Dr Hinemoa Elder on Instagram to get a sneak peek of her book Aroha as she discusses what Matariki means to her. Aroha unpacks 52 whakatauki – simple, powerful life lessons - encouraging respect for our planet and love for each other. It was awarded the NZ Booklovers Award for Best Lifestyle Book of the Year in 2021. Anō te pai!
Friday, 2 July: Theia
Alt-pop artist Theia - who writes and records in both English and te reo Māori - will be celebrating Matariki with a performance at the free Matariki festival 'Lighting The Beacons' on Friday, July 2. To mark the holiday she's also got some special activity planned for her socials, which she'll be rolling out during Matariki.
Saturday, 3 July: Matariki Market in Ponsonby
10am - 2pm Studio One, Ponsonby Road, Grey Lynn
Want to get out and about while the stars align this Matariki? Mahi Toi - Spencer Bellas Artist is hosting a Matariki Market in Ponsonby with a range of Māori businesses. Head down to the Matariki Market if you're in Auckland and support local business owners.
Saturday, 4 July: Maimoa Creative
Aroha, owner of Maimoa Creative, is passionate about promoting the Māori language through unique printed goods and resources. Maimoa Creative's aim is to help normalise the use of te reo in everyday life, and to empower people to be proud of their Māoritanga. During Matariki Maimoa Creative has teamed up with Konei to create a deck of Māori playing cards, launching July 3. Head over to Maimoa Creative's Instagram then, to hear about the launch of these cards and join the discussion about Matariki.
Monday, 5 July: The Future of Matariki, Facebook app (NZ) page, 7pm
Join Matariki expert Dr Rangi Matamua, Māori business guru Lamorna Ahitapu Rogers and host Te Arahi from Mahi Tahi media on a Facebook Live discussion talking about everything Matariki. This live event is one to mark on the calendar as these experts will offer an explanation of Matariki and why this period is so significant to New Zealanders.
Wednesday, 7 July: Hemi Kelly from A Māori Phrase a Day
Wanting to brush up on your te reo? Author Hemi Kelly from A Māori Phrase a Day makes learning the language fun and easy by uploading a short video to his Facebook group each day. Hemi has created an active community of over 87,000, all with the common goal of learning te reo. Head over to A Māori Phrase a Day on the 7th, to learn Māori greetings to use during the Matariki season.
Thursday, 8 July: Ā mua creations
Local business Ā mua creations, led by a husband and wife duo, create te reo clocks which both honour the language while doubling as beautiful decor. Last year they released an exclusive, Matariki themed te reo clock now back permanently. Head over to their Facebook page on July 8 to see how important creating a Matariki themed product was to them.
Friday, 9 July: Tanith from NZ Archaeology
The New Zealand Archaeology Facebook group educates people about New Zealand's landscape, specialising in Māori material culture and archaeology. With over 12,000 members, this active group is a great resource to discover hidden facts about our land.
