Deaf History

Matariki Kāinga Hokia: Marariki calls you home.

Matariki

A brief blog

Over the years, numerous festivities, legends, and public holidays revolve around astronomy. For instance, in Ancient Greece, the Pleiades constellation is referred to as the Seven Sisters, while in Japan, it is known as Six Stars. Witnessing how various cultures interpret and honour celestial entities uniquely is captivating.

“Matariki is the Māori name for the cluster of stars also known as the Pleiades. It rises mid-winter, and for many Māori, it heralds the start of a new year. Matariki literally means the ‘eyes of god’ (mata ariki) or ‘little eyes’ (mata riki). According to myth, when Ranginui, the sky father, and Papatūānuku, the earth mother, were separated by their children, the god of the winds, Tāwhirimātea, became so angry that he tore out his eyes and threw them into the heavens.

Find out more at https://teara.govt.nz/en/matariki-te-tau-hou-maori/page-1

“Māori astronomer and New Zealander of the Year Professor Rangi Mātāmua has created a new public holiday, revitalised indigenous astronomy, and united Aotearoa in learning more about a cluster of stars in our night sky.

Celebrations leading up to Matariki (the Māori New Year) have begun, ahead of the official date on 14 July, and this year there’s a new booklet containing karakia for each of the nine stars of Matariki.”

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2023/05/leading-m-ori-astronomer-rangi-m-t-mua-releases-new-karakia-booklet-ahead-of-this-year-s-matariki.html

Dr Rangi obtained the manuscript book from his late koroua – “his interest in Matariki and astronomy was sparked by a “very rich, very dense” 400-page manuscript about Mātauranga Māori pertaining to lunar calendar systems, written by his tupuna in the late 1800s.”

The iwi’s group believes seven or nine stars are in the skies. Most of us said nine stars is the most actual answer. I was honoured to assist a Somali Deaf woman during her dental visit this Tuesday. Thankfully, we had an interpreter with us who facilitated our conversation. During our discussion, the interpreter mentioned that they had recently attended a class where they learned about the distinction between seven stars and nine stars. I was fascinated by this revelation, as different people have had varying perceptions of the number of stars before teaching others.

https://www.matariki.com/about

The name of the nine stars are:

Hiwa-i-te-rangi
Waerea
Pōhutukawa
Tipuānuku
Tipuārangi
Waitī
Waitā
Waipunarangi
Ururangi

More information can be found at this link – https://global-uploads.webflow.com/6267a8f62c0e731ee823c4d2/645b58992c9af44e4b848d33_Matariki%20Karakia%20Booklet.pdf

In the Deaf community, many tangata turi (Māori Deaf) have been learning about Matariki and how to create their Māori te Reo Sign Language this year. There is a link for you to watch their sign language – https://www.turitv.co.nz/learn-te-ao-maori-signs/matariki/ururangi-teaching-guide