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.
"We are starting to realise the powerful extent of mātauranga, and hopefully celebrating our indigenous knowledge," Prof Mātāmua told Newshub.
In the capital last year, the world saw a formal hautapu ceremony conducted by tohunga (traditional experts).
Prof Mātāmua said after receiving so many requests, he wanted to make the ceremony more accessible.
"I sat down and pulled core elements of that ceremony [basic short karakia] for people to follow if they wanted to practise," he said.
You can use the karakia booklet to conduct your own hautapu ceremony whether you're at Takapō, at home or anywhere in Aotearoa.
For mana whenua at Takapō, Mātāmua has been a crucial aspect of setting up the Dark Sky Sanctuary.
"[It has been] hugely important - we've been able to add our flavour, our mātauraka, the histories and traditions of this place," said David Higgins from Te Rūnanga o Moeraki Ūpoko.
Prof Mātāmua added: "Part of colonisation for so long has meant other people have wanted us to be like them and now they are trying to be like us, so it has come full circle and there has been a growing acceptance [of mātauranga Māori]."
It's a taonga that will be treasured by New Zealanders and generations to come.
This year's Te Rā Aro ki a Matariki will be officially celebrated on Friday, July 14. The karakia booklet can be found at the Matariki website.
