Bilingual Calendar Encourages Us To Learn More About Ourselves And Our Unique Place In The World
Te Papa, with assistance from the Ministry of Education Te Tahuhu o te Matauranga and the Maori Language Commission Te
Taura Whiri i te Reo Maori, has produced a bilingual calendar in celebration of Matariki, the Maori New Year.
Mr Joe Doherty, Project Manager, Ministry of Education said, “The calendar is a simple tool that encourages us to learn
more about ourselves and our unique place in the world. It links into the national curriculum in the areas of Te Reo
Maori, science and Te Whariki. It is a calendar which is quite unique to New Zealand. It pays respect to our ancestors,
honours their knowledge and is our koha back to them.”
The calendar, based on traditional knowledge of the seasonal cycle, takes a holistic look at our natural world and our
place in it. It runs from June 2002 to May 2003. In the early morning of 12 June, the star cluster Matariki - or
Pleiades - appears in our dawn skies. The Maori New Year begins with the first new moon after the first appearance of
Matariki. This year the new moon also appears on 12 June.
Each month is illustrated with beautiful images and korero appropriate to the season of the year, including taonga tuku
iho, plants and birds, artworks, and people; and each is interpreted in both te reo Maori and English. There is
additional information on the Maori fishing calendar, astronomical events and phases of the moon, events in the Maori
year, as well as public holidays, school holidays, and other key information.
Te Papa has adopted Matariki as an annual event, and in conjunction with its partners Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Maori and
Te Tahuhu o te Matauranga, will celebrate with four weeks of free shows, lectures, and activities, which began on
Saturday 25 May.
The calendar can be purchased directly from Te Papa Store – rrp $19.95, or $14.95 for orders of 10 copies or more.
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