Tu Mai Te Mana O Matariki – Tihei Mauri Ora
A Dawn Planting to Celebrate Matariki with Te Whanau O Waipareira and Community Waitakere.
Five o’clock in the morning on Friday 4th of July, a cold but clear, starry sky. Arriving at the carpark adjacent to the bridge at Newey’s Corner at the same time as a truck from the nursery laden with our plants for this morning’s planting.
A tall figure with a miners light on her head appears out of the darkness, it’s Millie on the job early, efficiently supervising the technical details, barrowing the plants onto the site and laying them out, danger taping the edge of the steep stream bank.
We thought we were early, but when the first Kaumatua appears not long afterwards, Dennis tells us that he was ready to start at 4.30am!
Next to arrive out of the dark in a van was a small group of Kuia rugged up against the cold in woolly hats and coats – people began to arrived in ones, twos, threes, Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse and Shaz, Pat Watson, 82 year old Aunty Rangi and Moyna Grace.
True to form the stars disappear and a heavy shower follows. We all take refuge under the ezi-up.
The plants have all been carefully chosen, many of them for their Rongoa Maori (medicinal) properties, as well as for craft, weaving and other purposes. Harakeke, koromiko, kumarahou, toitoi, puriri …. all placed ready to be put in the ground.
We are all here, the Kaumatua, Uncle Willie begins the ceremony with a Matariki karakia, Mereana, kai karanga calls onto the site where a special harakeke has been selected for the first ceremonial planting. It’s carefully planted accompanied by more karakia. Then it’s gloves on and all hands to the spades. Suddenly there looks to be an awful lot of plants, will we get them all in…. and the heavens open for the second drenching shower.
No worries, the rain passes, old bodies bend to the work amid a constant exchange of banter. In no time at all we are done, all planted and heading to the dining room for a powhiri, hot coffee, porridge and a cooked breakfast.
We partners Te Whanau O Waipareira and Community Waitakere exchange mihi & waiata, and remind each other of the significance of this first planting on Waipareira’s adopted site. Both agree that this celebration is the first of many more to come. Wendy on behalf of Project Twin Streams presents a harakeke plant to Marina the Kai Whakahaere of the Early Childhood Bi-lingual Centre, Te Rito to plant in their play area. We have closed the circle from the babies to the elders.
E Nga Whanau O Waitakere me te rohe O Waipareira, tena koutou katoa, ki te mahi o te ata o Matariki – Nga Mihi, Nga Mihi, Nga Mihi
Tena Koutou Katoa ki te hapaitia o Te Kaupapa a Matariki, no reira, tena ra koutou katoa