Celebrating Matariki, Together
As Aotearoa New Zealand prepares to mark Te Wā o Matariki officially on 10 July, Manukau Institute of Technology and Unitec invites kaimahi ‘staff’ and ākonga ‘students’ to reflect, reconnect and celebrate through two special events that honour the values at the heart of the Māori New Year.
The Matariki Glow Trail on Friday, 3 July and the Matariki Dawn Breakfast on Wednesday, 8 July are both being held at Te Noho Kotahitanga Marae at our Mt Albert Campus and are open to the public.
These events celebrate creativity and community while recognising Matariki as a time to remember the past, celebrate the present and look with hope to the future.
They also reflect our commitment to creating opportunities for ākonga and kaimahi to connect through te ao Māori, culture and community.
Matariki is the Māori name for the Pleiades star cluster. Its appearance in the midwinter sky marks the Māori New Year.
The Matariki Glow Trail will transform the space surrounding Te Noho Kotahitanga Marae into an outdoor exhibition of light, art, performance and storytelling.
Around forty-five ākonga from the School of Architecture have spent Semester One designing and creating fifteen illuminated sculpture installations inspired by the themes of Matariki.
In the past, these works would be showcased at the annual Takapuna Matariki Market, but the works have been returned to Te Noho Kotahitanga Marae to mark the 50-year anniversary of Unitec since it began operating as Carrington Technical Institute in 1976.
Their work showcases not only creativity and technical skill, but also how design can connect people with culture, place and community.
“Matariki brings them together, helps them to grow, encourages collegiality, and brings a different energy and atmosphere when they collaborate on these sculptures,” says lecturer Keith Mann.
The event will begin at 5:00pm with a whakatau in front of our wharenui, Ngākau Māhaki.
There will also be a special performance by West Auckland-based kapa haka group Te Taha Tū.
Visitors will be invited to try out a new digital hīkoi app using virtual reality headsets, which our kaimahi have developed.
There will also be food and craft stalls and a coffee cart available throughout the evening.
Then on Wednesday, 8 July, we will be hosting a Matariki Dawn Breakfast, beginning with karakia at 6.45am, followed by a shared breakfast in Manaaki, our wharekai.
The gathering offers staff and students an opportunity to pause, acknowledge the significance of Matariki and begin the day together in a spirit of reflection, gratitude and renewal.
Kaitiaki Taiao, Hinewaimarama Reihana-White, says Matariki is an important time for our wider whānau.
“It’s a special time of gathering, a time of reflection and remembering those who have passed, and a time of re-setting and planning for the coming year. But it’s important that we come together as a whānau,” she says.
Everyone is warmly encouraged to attend.
What’s On
Matariki Glow Trail
Friday, 3 July 5.00pm–8.00pm
Te Noho Kotahitanga Marae, Mt Albert Campus
Staff who are available to volunteer during the Glow Trail are encouraged to contact Camelia Pirika cpirika@unitec.ac.nz.
Matariki Dawn Breakfast
Wednesday, 8 July 6.45am–8.00am
Manaaki, Te Noho Kotahitanga Marae
Please RSVP to the Marae team marae@unitec.ac.nz for catering purposes.
