E oho! How to celebrate Matariki as a community

Join us in person or online for this event.

For the first time in Aotearoa’s history, Matariki will be marked with a public holiday on Friday 24 June. Join Warren Maxwell (Ngāti Whare, Ngāi Te Riu, Ngāti Rakaipaaka) and hear why this year's Matariki event will be a pivotal step for the Featherston community towards acknowledging mātauranga Māori.

A poignant milestone
For the first time in Aotearoa’s history, Matariki will be marked with a public holiday on Friday 24 June. And while many Kiwis will appreciate another day off work, others might be wondering how relevant Matariki is to them, and how we might uplift the rich values of Te Ao Māori in this poignant Māori tradition.

The small township of Paetūmokai Featherston in the South Wairarapa is organising a four-day Matariki festival for the community with many events such as pūrākau (storytelling), community hangi, star gazing and a noho marae. Some of the approaches and lessons learned will be helpful for other communities wondering how to celebrate Matariki this year and in the years to come.

Join Warren Maxwell, the leader of the Featherston Matariki Committee this year, and hear why this year's Matariki event will be a pivotal step for the Featherston community towards acknowledging mātauranga Māori.

About the speaker
Warren Maxwell (Ngāti Whare, Ngāi Te Riu, Ngāti Rakaipaaka) has been a professional musician and composer for almost three decades. He has received a multitude of accolades including Best Albums, International tours, APRA nominations, Arts Foundation recipient, film composer and now Associate Professor of Music at Massey University.

“Since moving to Featherston in 2006, my whānau and I have connected with the Wairarapa in a very holistic sense. We have put down roots — connecting with local iwi and hapu through community involvement and whanaungatanga, connection to Te Taiao through pūrākau, riparian planting and water quality monitoring around Wairarapa Moana. We have made even closer connections to our community through our COVID response and now we have this amazing opportunity to celebrate Te Ao Māori through events like Matariki.

"Like many others who grew up very Pākehā, I am reconnecting with my taha Māori and finding the journey to be mana-enhancing and empowering on many levels, not only for me but my children and future mokopuna to come. It is a wonderful privilege to be asked to contribute a small part in Featherston, through celebrating and learning more about Te Ao Māori, and I am very much looking forward to our Featherston Matariki Festival in June.”

Can’t make it in person?
Can't make it in person? This event will also be delivered using Zoom. You do not need to install the software in order to attend, you can opt to run zoom from your browser.
Register if you’d like to join this talk and we'll send you the link to use on the day.

Image: Photo of Featherston Matariki Committee's Warren Maxwell, by Jason O’Hara.