Matariki Te Whetu Tapu O Te Tau

RANGI MATAMUA:

In mid-winter, Matariki rises in the pre-dawn sky, and its observation is celebrated with incantations on hilltops at dawn, balls, exhibitions, dinners and a vast number of events. The Matariki tradition has been re-established, and its regeneration coincides with a growing interest in Māori astronomy. Still, there remain some unanswered questions about how Matariki was traditionally observed. These include:

- What is Matariki?
- Why did Māori observe Matariki?
- How did Māori traditionally celebrate Matariki?
- When and how should Matariki be celebrated?

Based on research and interviews with Māori experts, this book seeks answers to these questions and explores what Matariki was in a traditional sense so it can be understood and celebrated in contemporary society.

An English-language edition is also available, Matariki: The Star of the Year.

Dr Rangi Matamua (Tūhoe) is Professor of Mātuaranga Māori at Massey University. His research fields cover Māori astronomy and star lore, Māori culture, and Māori language development, research and revitalisation. He travels extensively throughout the country giving public lectures about Matariki and Māori Astronomy. He was awarded the 2019 Prime Minister's Science Communication Prize for his work speaking to Matariki. In 2023, he was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order or Merit for services to Māori astronomy and was named Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year.