Te Ao Maori

Historian on Matariki holiday significance

08:29 am on 20 June 2022

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Friday will be Aotearoa's first Matariki public holiday to mark the start of the Māori new year.

It occurs when  the Matariki star cluster - otherwise known as Pleiades - rises in mid winter, and is the most significant celebration in the traditional Māori calendar, 

Manatū Taonga - Ministry for Culture and Heritage senior historian, or Pou Hītori Māori Matua, Matariki Williams spoke to Susie Ferguson.