Revitalising Matariki: How local councils brought Matariki to the masses in the early 2000s

Friday, 24 July 2020

Since 2000, Auckland Council has been hosting, fostering and supporting events celebrating Matariki.

Over the years the format has changed, the events have improved, attendance has grown, and awareness of what the season means has increased.

“It’s grown,” said Auckland Council’s Matariki Festival Director Ataahua Papa​. “But what’s really awesome is that people are focusing on the reason that we’re getting together.”

Auckland’s month-long festival began at the turn of the millennium, it was one of the first regional councils to introduce a Matariki event.

“Auckland Council, I think, has no problem in being the forerunner, the trendsetter, if you like, for cultural events,” Papa said.

In the two decades since, a number of councils have jumped on board. There have been fireworks displays, kapa haka festivals, star gazing sessions, and local mākete organised all around the country.

In the capital, Wellington City Council (WCC) has been closely involved with Matariki events since 2006. In 2014, it launched its first council-run event – the Seven Sisters concert at the Opera House, WCC’s manager for events delivery, David Daniela​ explained.

Four years later Ahi Kā and the Matariki ki Pōneke festival was launched in partnership with Iwi, Manu Whenua representatives and Te Papa.

“WCC went from supporting (particularly through Marketing) and engaging event organisers to run Matariki events to delivering Matariki events,” Daniela said.

One of the city’s biggest and most popular events is the Skyshow fireworks, originally organised in celebration of Guy Fawkes Day. In 2018, the display was changed to honour and signify the end of Matariki.

Christchurch City Council (CCC) has been running annual celebrations of the season for the last 15 years.

“As a bicultural organisation, we thought it was highly appropriate to acknowledge and celebrate the significance and cultural practices associated with the rising of the constellation each year,” a council spokesperson said.

The schedule for the region is filled with free events at libraries and within communities, night walks, and self-guided discovery trails for families to learn the meaning behind the constellation.

Since 2015, the council has organised a dawn planting at the Rongoa Garden site. “We had the best turn-out ever this year,” the spokesperson explained.

“Over the years, the number of programmes and events we deliver has increased, as well as opportunities for collaboration with community partners.”

Other councils have only recently introduced events. Nelson City Council’s (NCC) annual event – Te Huihui-o-Matariki​ (gathering of the stars) – launched in 2019.

Pania Lee, Nelson City Council Kaihautu, said around 1200 people turned out to the inaugural event that involved performances from local kapa haka groups and a presentation on Māori astronomy, a star party, fire poi, kai carts and light art displays.

”There has been growing public interest in Māori calendar events, with the public wanting to attend more culturally diverse events.

”Feedback for the Matariki event has been overwhelmingly positive, with some members of the public commenting that it has enlivened the normally quiet winter months,” Lee said.

In Auckland, the council operates an umbrella festival that allows people to submit and promote their Matariki events through the council’s official channels.

It then delivers a number of major events in collaboration with local iwi, helping share their stories as part of the festival.

The Covid-19 pandemic curtailed most celebrations. The annual fireworks display in Wellington was postponed and the festival evolved into a digital and live offering, CCC focused more on digital content creation, and NCC live-streamed the karakia, mihi, waita and kapa haka events.

ACC also had to drastically amend its schedule, however, the council still organised and promoted several events – star gazing to watch Matariki rise, two family days, a makers market, and an art installation at Freyberg Square in the city.

Papa said the city’s month-long event wasn’t just organised by the council, it was put together by Aucklanders as well.

“It’s getting bigger and bigger every year … More and more people [are] becoming more and more interested in Matariki.”

“The festival is absolutely growing.”

Interest was growing around the country too.

“Interest and attendance continues to be strong,” the CCC spokesperson said about their annual events.

NCC’s livestreamed event reached more than 6200 people on social media.

For regional councils that are yet to incorporate Matariki celebrations into the events calendar, Papa suggested they start small if resources don’t yet allow for large-scale events.

“Sometimes you don’t have to have a lot of resources to make positive things happen in your community.”

“[They should] look at who makes up their community and … think about how they can deliver events or deliver kaupapa.”

As a country, she said it’s important for New Zealanders to get behind Matariki’s recent resurgence.

“[Let’s] really make it something big to show the world how awesome Aotearoa [is].”

Stuff recently launched a campaign to mark Matariki with a public holiday.