By Ashleigh McCaull
Te Tohu o Matariki - the new logo for Matariki - has been unveiled as the historic first matauranga Māori public holiday is soon to be observed.
From left: Tyrone Ohia, Kiri Allan, Jacinda Ardern and Professor Rangi Matamua hold T-shirts bearing the new Matariki logo. Photo: RNZ / Ashleigh McCaul
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, several other ministers and the chair of the Matariki advisory board, Professor Rangi Matamua, gathered at the Carter Observatory in Wellington today to learn about the tohu and its relevance.
The tohu illustrates each star in the cluster as a tukutuku design and each has a different colour associated with it and is depicted by nine woven stitches to symbolise Māori culture intertwining with the rest of the country.
One of the creators of the new logo, Tyrone Ohia, said the design represents Aotearoa uniting as one.
"They cross in and out of each other and hold each other together.... we're hoping it's a metaphor for us as a nation coming together under this Māori kaupapa to celebrate in a distinctively Aotearoa way that's inclusive of all of us".
The government first announced in 2020 it would make Matariki a public holiday if it was re-elected later that year.
Jacinda Ardern speaks at the logo launch at the Carter Observatory in Wellington. Photo: RNZ / Ashleigh McCaul
Recently law to set up Matariki as a public holiday passed in Parliament, making it the 12th public holiday in Aotearoa.
Speaking at the gifting, Ardern said introducing Matariki as a public holiday will help shape Aotearoa's future identity.
"In the many many things that we will do as a government this, alongside our children learning New Zealand's history in schools, I think will lay a foundation for New Zealand's future that means that we better recognise and understand who we are; what makes us unique and we celebrate that together."
She expected the holiday to change over time with more people learning about what Matariki meant to the country.
Professor Matamua spoke about the design, saying there was an undeniable connection between the tukutuku panels inside the wharenui and the stars at night.
"This logo represents something that can embed and reaffirm our national identity, and those really crucial elements that make us who we are and where we are."
Professor Matamua expected there to be numerous events to celebrate the Māori New Year across the motu including from whānau waking up early to stargaze, to arts events and concerts.
Māori astronomer and University of Waikato professor Dr Rangi Mātāmua. Photo: RNZ / Dom Thomas
Matariki will be celebrated for the first time as a public holiday on 24 June.
Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Kiritapu Allan acknowledged the tamariki of Te Kōhanga Reo o Ngā Mokopuna and sang a waiata about Matariki with them.
Allan has a daughter named after one of the stars of Matariki, Hiwa-i-te-rangi.
She said her daughter was growing up in a world where Matariki had been normalised.
"She's growing up in a world where mātauranga is something that's inherently built into our culture and characteristics and fibres. So she won't know any different."
It's estimated Matariki will benefit domestic tourism industry between $110 million to $160m.
