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MANGAWHAI'S NO.1 NEWSPAPER
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Matariki celebrated in Mangawhai27 June, 2020 WORDS/PHOTOS/JULIA WADE
Unique to New Zealand and now an official public holiday, Matariki was celebrated nationwide on June 24, through evening rituals and dawn ceremonies, feasting, gatherings, song, planting and art with many eyes gazing towards the darkened skies for a glimpse of the luminous nine-star formation. Signalling the begininning of the Maori New Year, the winter celestial event – also known as the Pleiades – is a time of reflection on the year that has passed, and new beginnings and awareness for the year that will be, a time to honour Aotearoa New Zealand’s ancestry and collective history. Locally planned community events included Te Whai Community Trust’s zero-waste Matariki ki Mangawhai featuring musical performances, craft activities, Ti Rakau (stick games) and weaving workshops, face painting, a mural challenge, star-gazing and feasting with picnics and hangi. For the daring, a mid-winter swim was also scheduled at Mangawhai surf beach to recognise Matariki as well as the winter solstice. In the lead up to the cosmic event, Kaipara school children learnt the history and celebrated the significance of Matariki through planting days, cultural workshops and creating beautiful works of art which can be viewed at local museums.
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Matakohe’s Kauri Museum featuring colourful art boards designed and created by primary school students from Ruawai, Tinopai, Matakohe, Paparoa, Maungaturoto, Kaiwaka and Mangawhai, and also took part in workshops learning waiata, stick games, weaving and Matariki quizzes.
Mangawhai Beach school children planted 1000 natives on June 23, as planting trees/mahi in the school’s garden/mara helps students connect nature/te taiao to Matariki. The plants were donated by Forward Whangarei, acting on behalf of Matariki Tu Rakau with support from Mangawhai Natives. PHOTOS/FACEBOOK
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