Source: Ministry for Culture and Heritage
“Matariki Heri Kai – The feast of Matariki is the theme for Matariki 2024,” announced Chief Advisor Mātauranga Matariki, Professor Rangi Mātāmua.
Matariki Heri Kai comes from the Māori proverb ‘Matariki whetū heri kai’ meaning ‘Matariki, the bringer of food’.
“Matariki Heri Kai is a proverb that speaks to the association between the appearance of Matariki and the bounty of the impending season,” says Professor Rangi Mātāmua.
“The different stars in the Matariki cluster have an association to the various domains from where we source our food, in particular: gardens (Tupuānuku), forests (Tupuārangi), fresh water (Waitī) and ocean (Waitā). This connection encourages us to consider our role in protecting and caring for these ecosystems.
“Building on last year’s theme ‘Matariki kāinga hokia’ we encourage people to view Matariki as a time to journey home, spend time with whānau and fri
