On Sunday at Nga Purapura there was an ART market where vendors were invited to bring and show their wares. I’m told it was organised by Kapiti District Council.
While all the stalls were interesting and the work made you stop and look and there was a very good speaker on local hapu and their role in caring for the environment, an entertaining singer, and a lovely and admirable couple of items from the Kaumatua Exercise group, I wondered why there were no potters, no writing workshops, no film discussions, no dance, no Kapa Haka, no Te Reo, Waiata or Korero workshops.
The first wrong note (for me) was when the speaker who welcomed us, said after the end of Mayor’s K Gurunathan’s speech (he spoke very well), that morning tea would now be served to invited guests.
This was Matarariki?
As I understand it, Matariki is the time when you get together with family and friends, talk about the past and the future, share jokes, songs, poetry, stories. You celebrate the harvest that’s just gone and look forward to the earth having a quiet time until spring brings the green shoots of renewal. You do this together and everyone, yes everyone, gets kai and a drink.
We were given a beautiful calendar and a little fold up brochure with various bits of information on it. Ka pai.
Te Wananga o Raukawa is offering free online Te Reo Maori courses. From the 18th June, a 20 week online course. The best thing is you can learn in your own time, at your own pace. Maybe get a group together and start putting it into practice in conversation? Go online and check it out or ring 0800 WANANGA.
Lots of other things are happening all over Aotearoa New Zealand during Matariki 2018. This is a time of thanksgiving, discussion, questioning and celebration. Its easy to find out what’s on in your area. Wherever you live, whether its on the Kapiti Coast, Auckland, Dunedin, anywhere, on the Coast or anywhere else, your library will have programmes of events. Or you can go online and check what’s happening near you. Or you can even organise a Matariki celebration yourself?
Kia pai tou tatou Matariki
