|
|
|
|
|
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| 28 | 29 | 30 |
Haere Mai, Welcome to Aotearoa (New Zealand)!
Pipiri (Maori for June) is time to celebrate Matariki, the Māori New Year by attending various events and activities around Christchurch, New Zealand. Ngā Hau e Whā National Marae hosts Matariki night celebrations from 16 to 25 June 2009. |
Matariki is the Māori name for the cluster of stars (three hundred stars in total but you can only see seven in the night sky with the naked eye), also known as the Pleiades.
It rises just once a year, in mid-winter – late May or early June. For many Māori, it heralds the start of a new year. |
Matariki literally means the ‘eyes of god’ (mata-ariki) or 'small eyes' (mata-riki).
Watch for the signal from the earth that it is time to prepare the soil for the planting season. |
The night sky has played a huge role in Maori culture. It's guided the people across the seas, helped them calculate time and seasons and inspired them over hundreds of years.
|
According to Maori myth, when Ranginui, the sky father, and Papatūānuku, the earth mother, were separated by their children, the god of the winds, Tāwhirimātea, became so angry that he tore out his eyes and threw them into the heavens.
|
The chief of the South Island tribe - Ngai Tahu shares his experiences and views about planting by the stars and starlore.
|
Traditionally, crops had been harvested and seafood and birds had been collected. With plenty of food in the storehouses, Matariki was a time for singing, dancing and feasting.
|
Pacific Islanders from Tonga, Samoa, Niue and Cook Island also participate in Maori New Year celebrations.
|
Matariki is a time of learning for the young and teaching for the adults: weaving, planting, fishing, birding, singing, and dancing.
|
Weaving a whetū (star) in contemporary fibre is part of Matariki celebrations.
|
You may learn star weaving from the local high school students.
|
Ellen weaves a star in Canterbury-colours (red and black).
|
Traditionally, the natural flax leaves are the raw material for Maori weaving.
|
What can you do with a log?
|
The local Maori artist demonstrates the traditional wood carving.
|
Hot pumpkin soup is available to warm you up in the chilly night so that you enjoy more the Matariki celebrations.
|
Mobile library brings you all sorts of books, CDs and DVDs about Maori New Year - Matariki.
Throughout Matariki we learn about those who came before us: our history, our family, our bones. |
You may even weave a Maori contemporary tukutuku panel with threads in the mobile library.
|
Soap carving, tutored by Miles Kau Kau, a well-known Maori artist, is absolutely the most popular activity in Matariki celebrations.
|
If you want to learn how to do Maori carving, start with soap, then candle, wood and bone.
|
a beautiful artwork begins with a simple start
|
draw gently with a pencil the pattern on the soap
|
sharpen firmly the pattern
|
cut the pattern to create 3D effect
|
hand-to-hand tutoring
|
give your soap carving a final brush
|
Three weaved stars and a soap carved koru all come from Ellen's hand. Anyone can do it too if she did.
|
Maori go global! Kapa haka performers are rehearsing in Christchurch airport late June before the group fly to France for '09 international competition of indigenous performance.
|
Ben, environmental advisor of Ngai Tahu discusses with the public in Canterbury Museum about the significance of Matariki for New Zealanders today.
The picture of the presentation is Aoraki / Mt Cook, the Maori sacret mountian and the New Zealand's highest mountain (3754m). |
Like Maori language, Matariki, Māori New Year celebrations were once popular, but stopped in the 1940s. In 2000, they were revived.
It's said that it takes at least three generations to maintain a language, but one to lose it - we have to face it. |
 |
很高兴看到毛利文化的复苏!那些古老神秘的雕刻总把我们带回到远古时代!
霞 · 2009-06-29: 08:33
|
|
|
|
