Just off the center of the photo, you can see a bright star, Matariki. I rose at 4 am to make it to the boat on the wharf in Paihia, on the north tip of New Zealand. I joined about 80 others, mostly Maori, to commemorate Matariki. In my research before the trip, I really wanted to learn, and if possible to experience, Maori culture. Unlike other posts, I really don’t have any dramatic pictures. This was a religious ceremony, and most everyone was just experiencing the moment. Besides, it’s really hard to take good pictures in the pitch black night sky. What was amazing about this day was that the Maori leaders invited the public to join them. I have learned that there is a relatively recent movement to bring indigenous culture back to New Zealand. I am so grateful that I was able to participate in this.
You can learn a little about Matariki here Matariki basic overview
The boat was a chartered passenger ferry, less than half full of people. The weather was clear, thank God, but also quite cold, around 40 degrees with some wind from the ocean. There were quite a large number of Maori elders and leaders with face tattoos in the traditional way. They brought traditional instruments made of whale bones and conch shells. The energy on the boat was like a family reunion with lots of hugs and greetings. There were elders, young adults, and children, even a very young baby who was passed around. The language used was a mixture of traditional Maori and English.
I noticed a lot of familiar things that mark a religious ceremony. There was a prayer before the boat left from shore. People were asked to be quiet and remove head coverings. There was a unison “amen” type of ending. I did not know the word, but I can tell that was what was happening. After some brief explanations of the day, we all gathered on top deck of the boat, far enough from shore so that it was not visible. The leader used a star pointer to point out the stars involved in the cosmology and where to look for Matariki. Then the lights were shut off on the boat so that we were in total darkness. The ceremony leaders took turns chanting, singing, and playing the instruments. This went on for quite a long time, maybe an hour?, until the sun started coming up. When the singing stopped, the leader told us to recall to mind the people who have passed away in the last year, and let them go. They are now our ancestors and they will go to live with the other ancestors. Think about all of the things you need to let go. And then, finally, think about the new year and all of your hopes and dreams. Make a vision for your next year and the people in it. He said “We need to hold on one another in our journeys.” We sat in silence for several minutes, watching the sky, or with eyes shut in meditation. Then there was another prayer, and all the horns were blown loudly. The new year.
We then went to an island with sacred significance. I hiked a round a bit, before we had a big breakfast together. More prayers, more singing, but in a celebratory way, and less contemplative.
It’s difficult to express how meaningful this was to me. I found myself wishing I had someone with me to experience it too. But then one of the leaders approached me, and we talked. She told me that she is part of a group that presides over these ceremonies. For example, if whales wash up on shore, there is a ceremony to bury them. They use the bones for their rituals. She was about my age, but she is just learning the language. The young people now have a school to learn the language and culture, but she did not have that. Like the U.S., Maori were punished for speaking their traditional language and practicing their religion. I expressed gratitude to her for allowing people like to be a part of it. It was a moment of connection. “We need to hold on one another in our journeys.”
Then as I was boarding the boat, I overheard 2 young women speaking with an American accent and asked them if they were from the US? Yes, they were studying abroad from Mt. Holyoke College at the University of Wellington. When I told them I was on sabbatical from a church, one said she grew up UCC at Coral Gables UCC in Florida. The other one is from the Unitarian Universalist Association. We had a lot to talk about.
I will share more about all I am learnign about the Maori later. But this was a very special time. I think my friend Laurel Pepin would have loved photographing Matariki. Sending you all love. Thanks for following along.
Nicole
Nicole Grant Yonkman 