MatarikiMatariki is the M oriname for the smallcluster of stars alsoknown as the Pleiadesor the Seven Sisters, in the Taurusconstellation. In New Zealand itcomes into view low on the northeasternhorizon, appearing in thetail of the Milky Way in the lastdays of May or in early June, justbefore dawn. This heralds theM ori New Year.Various M ori tribes celebratedMatariki at different times. Someheld festivities when Matarikiwas first seen in the dawn sky;others celebrated after the fullmoon rose or at the beginning ofthe next new moon. For all tribes,the importance of Matariki hasbeen captured in proverbs andsongs, which link it with thebright star Wh nui (Vega):Ka puta Matariki ka rereWh nui.Ko te tohu t n o te tau e!Matariki re-appears, Wh nui startsits flight.Being the sign of the [new] year!Matariki is also associated with thewinter solstice. It appears when thesun, drifting north on the shortest dayin winter, reaches the north-easternend of the horizon. The sun then turnsaround and begins its journey south.Matariki in Greek mythAccording to Greek myth, thePleiades are the seven daughters ofPleione and Atlas – Electra, Maia,Taygete, Alcyone, Celaeno, Asteropeand Merope. While wanderingthrough the woods one day, they werespied by Orion, who gave chase. Tosave them from Orion’s dishonorableintentions, Zeus transformed them8MatarikiTheheavensinto stars and placed them in the sky.A number of ancient temples on theAcropolis in Athens face the directionwhere the Pleiades rise.LegendsMatariki literally means the ‘eyes ofgod’ (mata ariki) or ‘little eyes’ (matariki). Some say that when Ranginui,the sky father, and Papat nuku, theearth mother were separated by theiroffspring, the god of the winds, Twhirim tea, became angry, tearingout his eyes and hurling them intothe heavens. Others say Matariki isthe mother surrounded by her sixdaughters, Tupu- -nuku, Tupu--rangi,Wait , Wait , Waipuna- -rangi andUrurangi. One account explains thatMatariki and her daughters appear toassist the sun, Te R , whose winterjourney from the north has left himweakened.Matariki and PuangaSome M ori tribes believed thatit was the rising of the star Puanga(Rigel in Orion) which heralded thenew year, not Matariki. Hence thesaying: ‘Puanga kai rau’ (Puangaof abundant food). This divergencewas explained to the scholar ElsdonBest by a M ori elder: ‘The task ofPuanga is to strive with Matariki (thePleiades) that he may gain possessionof the year.’Modern Matariki – New year witha bangMatariki celebrations were popularbefore the arrival of Europeans inNew Zealand, and they continued intothe 1900s. Gradually they dwindled,with one of the last traditionalfestivals recorded in the 1940s. Atthe beginning of the 21st centuryMatariki celebrations were revived.Their increasing popularity has led tosome to suggest that Matariki shouldreplace the Queen’s birthday as anational holiday.When Te Rangi Huata organised hisfirst Matariki celebrations in Hastingsin 2000, about 500 people joinedhim. In 2003, 15,000 people came. TeRangi Huata believes that Matarikiis becoming more popular becauseit celebrates M ori culture and indoing so brings together all NewZealanders: ‘It’s becoming a little likeThanksgiving or Halloween, exceptit’s a celebration of the Maori culturehere in (Aotearoa) New Zealand. It’sNew Zealand’s Thanksgiving.’M ori kitesThe revival of Matariki has alsoplayed a part in the increasingpopularity of the traditional Mori kite (p kau). HekenukumaiBusby, an expert in traditional Mori navigation, has said that theancestors of M ori, including thePolynesians of ancient history,welcomed Matariki by flying kites.Accordingly, Te Taura Whiri ite reo M ori (M ori LanguageCommission), in their 2001 bookleton Matariki, suggested that kitescould be flown on the first day ofthe new year. A number of modernMatariki celebrations have involvedmaking and flying kites. In a moderntwist, the Hastings festival featuredfireworks and hot air balloons,symbolising kites flown from thehilltops by the ancestors.
STOP PRESS!GOPIO International Womans Convention will beheld in London 24 October 2010Lady Shurti RanaGOPIO International ChairWomans CouncilAndras House, 60 Great Victoria Street,Belfast, BT2 7BBMobile: +447921887718Email: lady.shruti.rana@gmail.comConquor the Conquest . . .Mrs. Dolly Rastogi is one amongst very few womenof Indian Origin who despite severe disability haveattained unattainable in life. She lost her vision inher early teen-age. Undeterred by her blindness,she continued her studies and went to completeher master’s degree in Economics and obtainedanother degree in teaching. But she decided to goto the career which was considered beyond thereach of the blind women in India. She became anadmistrattive Officer in a Public Sector Undertakingof the government of India and married a blindman who was also holding a very senior positionas Civil Servant in the Central Government.Livingand raising a normal sighted son was not an easytask. The couple has now taken retirement and aredevoting their time in Social work in India and U.K.The son after studying Chartered Accountancy,Joined a Multi-National Bank where he holds asenior position & his wife is also working in anIndian Bank and they are posted in UK from 2009.The couple with Son & Daughter -in- laware leading a decent life and are an example formillions of the couple all over the world. Currentlythey are based in U.K. and associated with severalVoluntary organisation giving guidance the thepersons with cross disability.GOPIO Health Summitto be held on November 12 – 14 2010 in New York.Contact: Dr Rajiv Sood rsood@medicalcentre1.co.nzSitting on sofa--Dolly & Mahendra Rastogi--ourChristmas celebration with special people
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