Members of the Rotorua community gathered on Thursday morning to celebrate the rising of Matariki with a traditional Hautapu ceremony - a sacred offering to the stars.
Tohunga reo (Māori expert) Mataia Keepa is proud he was raised in the Kōhanga Reo, Kura Kaupapa Māori movement as a child.
As the host of the Tūhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao Hautapu ki te Rāhui ceremony at Te Whakarewarewa village, Keepa said the ceremony in Rotorua was a “standout” for him.
“I’ve participated in many hautapu, not only regionally but nationally and internationally.
“Today’s one was a bit closer to my heart because it was a lineage that I whakapapa to, my Tūhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao side,” Keepa said.
Mataia Keepa with some of the kaikarakia who stood at Thursday's Hautapu service.
His role as a tonotono (serviceman to the people) was to share the hautapu ceremony with the world, helping to “indigenise and decolonise spaces”.
“Unfortunately, sometimes we have to challenge the status quo because the status quo was never Māori at the outset.”
Recognising youth who live in urban areas with limited access to mātauranga Māori, especially at Matariki, he encouraged them to seek out their culture.
“To bring a revived tradition and ceremony to my people is nothing but remarkable, amazing and heartfelt,” Keepa said.
It is “part and parcel of the identity of Aotearoa”.
Rangitiaria Tibble and Manurere McGarvey were kaikarakia at the Whakarewarewa Hautapu ceremony in Rotorua. Photo / Aleyna Martinez
He said that before 1840, women were included in karakia and ceremonies, which was why women and men were assigned to the various karakia at Thursday morning’s hautapu.
“When it comes to propelling our aspirations or our incantations heavenly towards Matariki, it is important to think about that duality.
“Some of the kids of Rehua and Matariki are females. It’s only appropriate for a female to karakia to those female stars, and for males to karakia to the male stars.
“That might rub people up the wrong way, but it’s the right way.
“The sky father is a male, and the earth mother is a female - duality is prevalent in the Māori psyche.”
He was proud to be a contemporary leader practising mātauranga Māori alongside his sisters.
Matariki was “front footing” the reclamation of women in ceremony, “and ultimately honouring our female counterparts”.
Māorinesian Kai Catering and Mataia Keepa hosted a communal kai to complete the hautapu ceremony on Thursday. Photo / Aleyna Martinez
