Mānawatia a Matariki!
Unitec celebrated the arrival of Matariki at both campuses this week.
At the Waitakere campus on Wednesday, kaimahi and ākonga gathered at the Te Rangimarie student hub for a lunchtime Matariki celebration.
A karakia opened the celebrations. Social Practice Senior Lecturer, Sailauama Cheryl Talamaivao then shared the Mātauranga Māori worldview and tikanga around Matariki. A whaikōrero was presented followed by waiata before kai was served.
On Thursday, kaimahi and ākonga braved a chilly morning to gather at Te Noho Kotahitanga Marae to celebrate the arrival of Matariki.
It was a special opportunity for the Unitec whānau to come together to acknowledge the arrival of Matariki through karakia, followed by a breakfast in Manaaki (Wharekai).
According to Kaitiaki Taiao, Hinewaimarama Reihana-White, Matariki is an important time for Unitec.
“It’s a really special time of gathering, a time of reflection and remembering those who have passed, and a time of re-setting and planning for the coming year. But it’s really important that we come together as a Unitec whānau,” she says.
Those in attendance at the Mt Albert ceremony also got to support an incredible installation in front of Ngākau Māhaki by Rachael Pedersen, a current School of Creative Industries, Master of Creative Practice ākonga.
Matariki is the Māori name for a star cluster also known as the Pleiades or Seven Sisters. It’s a significant time in the Māori calendar, marking the start of the new year and is celebrated with festivities, remembrance, and planning for the future. The rising of the Matariki star cluster in mid-winter is a signal for celebrations, which typically occur between late June and mid-July.
