Source: Ministry for Culture and Heritage
Puanga to be star of Matariki 2025
This year’s theme of Matariki mā Puanga highlights communities who observe Puanga astronomical traditions and is all about celebrating and learning about the Māori new year together.
“Matariki and Puanga are stars that sit in the night sky together to signal the start of the Māori new year for different iwi,” says the government’s Chief Advisor Mātauranga Matariki, Professor Rangi Mātāmua.
Mātāmua says this year’s theme was chosen to help guide Puanga and Matariki celebrations around New Zealand and the world. The theme will feature at this year’s nationally broadcast hautapu ceremony hosted by Ngāti Rangi at the base of Ruapehu.
“While the stars that mark the beginning of the Māori new year may vary in some regions, the themes that underpin the ceremony and celebration are the same,” says Mātāmua.
“Both Puanga and Matariki are celebrations of an ancient lunar-solar time keeping system that can be found in civilisations around the world throughout history.
“It’s awesome to see understanding of Matariki grow in New Zealand, but even more so across the world as other cultures reconnect with their indigenous astronomical traditions.
“Three quarters (75%) of Kiwis see Matariki as a chance to celebrate the culture, people, and stories of Aotearoa, up from 70% in 2023. This trend suggests there’s a deepening appreciation for Matariki across the motu.
“Matariki brings together indigenous and western science, with institutions like NASA and the Royal Observatory in Greenwich keen to engage and grow their understanding of mātauranga Matariki and Puanga.
“Countries across the world are looking to see how Aotearoa New Zealand is bringing people together and embracing traditional Māori scientific knowledge of the stars,” says Mātāmua.
Che Wilson, spokesperson for Ngāti Rangi and leading mātauranga Puanga expert, acknowledges the significance of Puanga being in the spotlight for national celebrations.
“It is a great privilege to be the host of this year’s nationally broadcast hautapu which will feature Puanga as the star of this year’s celebrations,” says Wilson.
” Matariki mā Puanga acknowledges and embraces the different traditions, stars and tikanga around celebrating the Māori New Year and the different regional variations that exist.
“For Ngāti Rangi and other neighbouring iwi, we look to Puanga as the marker of the Māori new year.
“Puanga is the star Rigel and is the brightest star in the Orion constellation. Matariki is seen below Puanga and to the left of Tautoru (the three stars of Orion’s Belt) in the late autumn and early winter night sky.
“Matariki and Puanga are for everyone, and I encourage people to find out more about our stars above us,” says Wilson.
Ko Puanga te whetū o Matariki 2025
E whakaatu ana te kaupapa o tēnei tau, Matariki mā Puanga i ngā hapori e hāpai ana i ngā tikanga tātai arorangi mō Puanga, ā, ko te tino kaupapa ko te whakanui me te ako i ngā āhuatanga mō te tau hou Māori.
“Noho tahi ai ngā whetū a Matariki me Puanga i te rangi pō e tohu ana i te tīmatanga o te tau hou mō ētahi iwi,” te kī a te Kaitohutohu Mātāmua Mātauranga Matariki, a Ahorangi Rangi Mātāmua.
I kī a Mātāmua i tohua te kaupapa o tēnei tau hei āwhina ki te ārahi i ngā whakanuitanga o Puanga me Matariki puta noa i Aotearoa me te ao. Ka whakaaturia te kaupapa i te hautapu a Ngāti Rangi ka pāhōtia ki te motu i te take o Ruapehu.
“Ahakoa he rerekē pea ngā whetū o tēnā rohe, o tēnā rohe e tohu ana ngā whetū i te tīmatanga o te tau hou Māori, he ōrite tonu ngā kaupapa e paihere ana i ngā tikanga me te whakanui i te kaupapa,” te kī a Mātāmua.
“E whakanui ana a Puanga me Matariki i te tikanga o nehe mō te wā e kitea ana i roto i ngā iwi puta noa i te ao mai rā anō.
“Ka rawe te kite i te tipu o te mōhio mō Matariki i Aotearoa, otirā i te ao, i te tūhono anō o ngā iwi taketake ki ā rātau ake tikanga tātai arorangi.
“Mō te hautoru (75%) o ngāi Aotearoa he wā a Matariki e whakanui ai i ngā tikanga, te iwi, me ngā kōrero o Aotearoa, kua piki mai i te 70% i te tau 2023. E tohu ana tēnei i te kaingākau ki a Matariki i te motu whānui.
“E whakakotahi ana a Matariki i ngā mātauranga iwi taketake me te tauiwi, me te hiahia o ngā umanga pērā i a NASA me te Royal Observatory i Greenwich ki te torotoro mai me te whakatipu i tō rātau mārama ki te mātauranga mō Matariki me Puanga.
“Kei te mātakitaki ngā whenua o te ao i te āhua o te whakakotahi a Aotearoa i tōna iwi me te whai i ngā mātauranga a te Māori mō ngā whetū,” te kī a Mātāmua.
I kōrero a Che Wilson, te waha kōrero mō Ngāti Rangi me te pūkenga mātauranga mō Puanga, mō te hira o te puta whānui o ngā kōrero mō Puanga i ngā whakanuitanga ā-motu.
“He hōnore nui te whakahaere i te hautapu ka pāhōtia whānuitia ki te motu e kitea ai ko Puanga te whetū o tēnei tau,” te kī a Wilson.
“E kōrero ana Matariki mā Puanga mō ngā tikanga rerekē me ngā whetū rerekē mō te whakanui i te tau hou Māori me ōna āhuatanga ake o tēnā rohe, o tēnā rohe.
“Mō Ngāti Rangi me ngā iwi paetata mai, ko Puanga tō mātau tohu mō te tau hou Māori.
“Ko Puanga te whetū mārama rawa o Tautoru. Ka kitea a Matariki i raro o Puanga, ā, ki te taha mauī o Tautoru i te whakapaunga o te ngahuru me te kuhunga atu ki te takurua.
“Mō te katoa a Matariki me Puanga, ā, e whakahau ana ahau i te tangata ki te whai i ngā kōrero mō ō tātau whetū katoa i te rangi,” te kī a Wilson.
