New Matariki book helps revive Māori Astronomy

22 May 2017

New Matariki book helps revive Māori Astronomy

The launch of a new book Matariki - The Star of the Year by Dr Rangi Matamua on Wednesday 24th May at the University of Waikato marks a resurgence in Māori astronomy and provides new insights into Māori astronomical customs and knowledge that were thought lost.

The story of this book begins in the late 1800s, when Te Kōkau Himiona Te Pikikotuku and his son Rāwiri Te Kōkau of Ruatāhuna were interviewed by Elsdon Best as part of his research for the publication Astronomical Knowledge of the Māori . At the completion of these interviews, Best gave to his informants a star map. This map was used by Te Kōkau and his son to compile a 400-page manuscript, which they began together in 1898 and Rāwiri completed in 1933. On his deathbed, Rāwiri Te Kōkau handed this book to his grandson Timi Rāwiri, and in 1995 this book was then gifted to the grandson of Timi Rāwiri, Rangi Matamua, the author of this book. After years of studying this manuscript and research into Māori astronomy, Dr Rangi Matamua has brought this manuscript to life.

“I think it’s important that Māori tell their own stories from their own perspectives,” says Rangi. “This book covers traditional practices, traditional ceremonies and beliefs, and importantly examines whether Matariki has a purpose in a modern context.”

The celebration of Matariki has been key to the renewed interest in Māori astronomy. Since the early 1990s, the pre-dawn rising of Matariki in the month of June has been honoured as a time of togetherness, unity and goodwill, with many groups across New Zealand coordinating events to celebrate Matariki. However, there still remains some confusion and misconceptions regarding the traditional observation of Matariki which this book helps to clarify and explain in order for Matariki to be fully understood within today’s society.

According to Pauline Harris, Science lecturer at Victoria University, 'Rangi Matamua’s book, Matariki: The Star of the Year brings to light an in-depth understanding around Matariki and the night sky that is so very much needed. Rangi shares his wealth of knowledge of Māori astronomy and combines this with aspects of modern astronomical concepts to provide an understanding of how and why Māori observed the night sky the way they did.'

Professor Pou Temara of the University of Waikao has been a mentor and teacher for Dr Matamua and was part of the first major Matariki celebrations in the early 1990s. ‘Rangi’s passion for the stars is informed by the writings of his great-great-grandfather, Te Kōkau Himiona Te Pikikotuku, a tohunga of Tūhoe and Ngāti Pikiao and his son, Rāwiri Te Kokau. Rangi writes with the authority of these two learned tohunga enhanced by the research that his academic profession demands. Matariki: The Star of the Year is his first book and is the appetiser to a greater body of Māori knowledge about the cosmos from this Māori author’s perspective.’

Dr Rangi Matamua (Tūhoe) is an associate professor at the University of Waikato, and his research fields are 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.

The book launch takes place at 6.00pm at the University of Waikato. Books retail at $35.00 and will be available at the launch and also available this week at all good bookstores and on the HUIA Publishers website - www.huia.co.nz .

ENDS

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