By Adrien Taylor
A month of celebrations for the Maori New Year, Matariki, is drawing to an end tonight.
It began when the Pleiades star cluster revealed itself in the night sky, and today it was another aerial display that drew the crowds.
It's not everyday you see a flying bear and whale, but this was a special celebration.
“It's unique,” says Matariki Festival organiser Mikki-Tae Tapara. “It's Aotearoa New Zealand. The stars were how people, how Maori arrived here in Aotearoa, and the stars will always be here so we need to acknowledge them each year.”
It was a month ago that the Pleiades star cluster first showed itself in our night sky for this year, and Matariki celebrations began.
Today it all drew to an end with a festival favourite.
“Unreal,” says festival-goer Peter Clark. “We've been doing this for over 30 years and every year it gets bigger.”
Apart from looking cool, traditional Maori kites served a functional purpose.
“In their time, there were no emails or texts or telephones or mobile phones that we have these days for communication,” says Bobby Newson of Auckland Council. “Kites were a form of communication and so certain kites obviously gave certain messages.”
They also had a symbolic meaning too.
“The symbolism with the kite is the connection between Papa Tuanuku, Mother Earth, and Ranginui sky father,” says Maori arts tutor Korotangi Kapa-Kingi.
While Matariki is traditionally a time for planning ahead and reflecting on the past, festival organisers say these days it's just as much about having a bit of fun.
The celebrations aren't over just yet. Tonight, Silo Park on Auckland’s waterfront will play host to music, a market, and projections on giant silos.
3 News
source: newshub archive
