275 Times June 2017

MARAMATAKA
Te Tahi o Pipiri (June) 2017
By Ayla Hoeta
This month we celebrate the
start of the Māori New Year.
Matariki is a time to get your
plans for the new year sorted
so you’re ready to roll when
the Kohurangi (Brachyglottis
Kirkii) flowers. That’s a sign to
kick into gear and start all your
new and wonderful projects.
High Energy days
ÍÍ8 June – Te Rakaunui
(Highest energy day)
ÍÍ9 June – Rakau matohi
Fishing days
ÍÍ15 June – Tangaroa a Mua
ÍÍ16 June – Tangaroa a Roto
ÍÍ17 June – Tangaroa Kiokio
Planting days
ÍÍ4 June – Mawharu
ÍÍ18 June – Otane (planting
day and give back to the forest)
ÍÍ29 June – Tamatea a Io
ÍÍ30 June – Tamatea Kai Ariki
Reciprocity/give back
& reflecting days
ÍÍ5 June – Atua
ÍÍ11 June – Oike
ÍÍ12 June – Korekore te Whiahia
ÍÍ13 June – Korekore te Rawea
As you become familiar with
the maramataka you will feel
more in tune with your natural
surrounding and enjoy the
rhythm of the maramataka and
nature. Have a great month!
If you would like a
maramataka dial visit 275
Times on Facebook, or
email me at ayla.hoeta@
aucklandcouncil.govt.nz
COMMUNITY
Matariki
Event
By Olivia Chapman
Lead Hub Teacher, Te Kura
Māori o Ngā Tapuwae
Students from Te Kura Māori o
Ngā Tapuwae have teamed up
with Māngere East Community
Centre to host this year’s
Community Matariki Event.
The students from Ururangi
learning hub are excited to share
their knowledge of Matariki.
Many people have a lot of
misconceptions about Matariki.
For instance, some people don’t
know that it is more than just
a cluster of stars in the sky,
so the students are working
on projects based on Matariki
to display at the event.
The displays will be interactive
and fun, with games and samples
of traditional Māori kai on
offer. The students will also be
involved in preparing a hāngi,
and will kick of the event with a
traditional
pōwhiri.
Year 10 student Hamiora Tito from
Māngere East is looking forward
to meeting lots of new people. “I
know our community is culturally
diverse and I want to share my
knowledge with them so they can
go home and tell their families
about how important Matariki is,”
he says.
“WE HOPE THAT PEOPLE
WILL EMBRACE THIS
SPECIAL EVENT. WE
WANT EVERYONE TO
FEEL INCLUDED.”
“It’s an event for all, regardless
of race and culture, and we
hope that people will embrace
this special event. We want
everyone to feel included.”
The Community Matariki Event
will be held on
24 June in the
Māngere East
Hall (Metro
Theatre) 362
Massey Rd,
4pm – 8pm.
Planning for Matariki: Māngere East Community Centre Manager Hone Fowler (left) with
students from Te Kura Māori o Ngā Tapuwae. (Photo of Matariki constellation: NASA)
2
COMMUNITY ACTION GETS RESULTS >> cont. from page 1
Our main worry was the ecological
effects of transferring stormwater
from one catchment area (Western
Springs) to another (Māngere).
In particular, massive amounts
of stormwater flowing into the
treatment plant and increased
volumes of treated water pouring
into the Manukau Harbour. Experts
argue against combined sewage and
stormwater systems, we said. The
13-kilometre underground Central
Interceptor tunnel may offer a “quick
fix” but these concerns remain.
Five years on, I remember residents
collecting hundreds of signatures for
our carefully worded submissions,
community meetings, consultations
with Watercare and Auckland
Council, discussions with professional
advisers, collaborations with Manukau
Harbour Restoration Society and The
Onehunga Enhancement Society,
presentations at consent hearings
and interviews with reporters.
I especially remember longtime
Māngere Bridge residents, Roger
Baldwin, who died last year, and
Ken Duff and Brian Pilkington.
“Are we wasting our time?,” I asked
Roger once when our efforts
seemed hopeless. “No!” he said.
“We’re speaking out because we love
the harbour and the community,
and we care about what future
generations will inherit.”
Those were the commitments
we all shared. Our different
contributions were our strength.
Watercare’s announcement
reminds me that residents were
right to ask critical questions.
Doing everything we could to
influence decisions affecting our
environment made hope possible.
Looking back, we were constantly
creating hope through collective
community action. Our
efforts made a difference.