Changeable Matariki public holiday 'fantastic', a 'great step' forward

Thursday, 4 February 2021

The Labour-led Government is fulfilling its pre-election promise by introducing a Matariki public holiday next year, a move that’s been hailed as “fantastic” and a “great step” forward for the country.

Stuff understands the Government is set to announce the date of the first holiday in 2022 on Thursday.

“I think it is great,” said Te Rangi Huata, Ngāti Kahungunu events manager. “We need to embrace our own traditions, and so I’m glad that’s happening.”

“Great step, great step,” added Mike Paku, Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga board chairman. “We’ll be the only country in the world that [will] recognise this particular event … It is a great step forward for the country.”

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Huata said it’s good the Government is following the lead of the people.

The date won’t be fixed, and will likely move between June and July every year.

Dr Dan Hikaroa, senior lecturer for the University of Auckland's Te Wānanga o Waipapa, said making the date moveable shows there is a really good understanding of what Matariki is.

Matariki celebrations have been organised around the country for years. From next year, the season will be celebrated with a national public holiday.

'[It] is really respectful to the knowledge that it draws from.'

He was pleased the Government didn't try to mould the celebration, which is aligned with the maramataka (the ancient Polynesian lunar calendar), to fit the Gregorian calendar.

Last year, Stuff launched a campaign to help Matariki become a public holiday, and a public petition from Action Station and New Zealand Republic garnered the support of 30,000 people.

Although the petition didn’t move through the governance motions – it was presented to Labour MP Paul Eagle and set to be presented to a select committee – New Zealand Republic’s Lewis Holden believes it played an important role in this decision.

“There was a clear signal that … there’s popular support for Matariki as a public holiday, but also that support isn't simply people who want a day off, there is actually some gravitas behind [it] in terms of [a] desire to celebrate something that is indigenous to our country.

“It’s also broadly a reflection of the fact that in our country today, there is much more celebration of indigenous celebrations than there has been in the past, and that’s a good thing. It wasn’t so hard an argument to make for Matariki [to become a] public holiday.”

Te Rangi Huata organises all the Matariki celebrations for Ngāti Kahungunu.

This will be the country’s 12th public holiday, and the first national holiday introduced since Waitangi Day was added to the line up almost 50 years ago.

An expert panel made up of Māori astronomers, Puanga experts and ocean navigators assembled to help select the first date, and the dates for the following 30 years.

Planning ahead for three decades is a “fantastic” move, Huata said. “People can plan their lives around it.”

It will also help businesses plan ahead, said Holden, a business owner himself who saw the Government’s decision as pleasing.

“This has been something that’s been running for actually about a decade.”

Holden’s petition supported the holiday falling on the day of the next new moon after the Matariki constellation has risen. This was based on the idea put forward by Māori Party MP Rahui Katene’s member’s bill in 2009.

Huata didn't have a specific date in mind, but thought it would be great to centre it around a weekend, potentially when the Queen's Birthday holiday falls after the Queen has passed. All public holidays have been ‘Mondayised’ since the Holidays Act was amended in 2013.

The advisory group, chaired by Dr Rangiānehu Matamua was asked to look at Monday-ising or Friday-ising the day closest to the correct time in the lunar calendar. The method used to determine this date will be used for future dates.

Due to the different identification markers used by iwi around the country, Hikaroa acknowledged some people may be disappointed if it doesn't align with their celebrations, but ultimately, the holiday is about recognising the value of the Māori new year celebration.

The exact date won’t impact the timing of events planned by Ngāti Kahungunu iwi, Huata said. Celebrations in the North Island regions take place over numerous weeks on Fridays and Saturdays, following community actions and lessons in schools.

“Because we’re a fairly large iwi and there’s 67,000 of us, we’ve basically kept the weekends the same.

“Everyone knows the cycle. Some family members tie in family get-togethers – weddings, baptisms. Because we live such busy lives, it’s great to cluster a whole lot of activities in at the one time.”

Celebrations begin in the Wairarapa on the Queen's Birthday weekend, followed by central Hawke’s Bay, Dannevirke, Napier and Hastings, and lastly Wairoa. The Wairoa celebrations are usually the lasting, attracting around 55 per cent of the local population.

“Wairoa has always [taken] off, right from day one 18 years ago, and they’ve always had great support from the community rain or shine, hot or cold, everyone comes out.”

No matter the date chosen, Paku takes his hat off to this true recognition of the holiday. He said, however, the nuance of it all will be in the detail of the Government’s wording.

He hopes to see the nation embrace Matariki celebrations and adopt a second new year milestone.