Puanga: Stratford pupils create their own stars for Māori New Year celebration

Stratford Primary School room 15 pupils Lucy Nation, 7, Isabella Gunn, 8, and Hazen Baker, 8, with their stars. Photo / Alyssa Smith

Stratford pupils had stars in their hands, not in their eyes at Stratford library last week.

Pupils from Avon, Pembroke, Stratford and St Joseph’s schools visited Stratford Library to decorate stars for Puanga, the start of the Māori New Year.

Taranaki, Whanganui and some iwi on the West Coast of the South Island recognise the rising of the star Puanga. Puanga rises to the left of Mount Taranaki at this time of the year, while Matariki is often still obscured.

Stratford Primary School pupil Hazen Baker, 8, was at the library on Tuesday. He says celebrating Puanga is important.

“Puanga represents the start of the Māori New Year. It’s when the seven sisters, Matariki and Puanga come out and can be seen in the sky.”

Stratford Library youth and children’s librarian Kate Fairhurst says the stars will be on show at Stratford’s Starry Night event.

“The stars will feature in the event’s glow-in-the-dark tunnel. It was a popular part of last year’s festival and we’re happy to have it again this year. Over 350 children have visited the library and created a star.”

Kate says the library’s focus is getting more children involved.

“I want to run an engaging activity each term. Last term I invited the schools to come and make poppies and this term it was stars. It helps the children become familiar with the library and also gives them a fun experience.”

Kate says she’s impressed with how different each star is.

“Each pupil had the same tools to decorate their star but they’ve used different colours and different techniques. It’s pretty amazing that each star is different and reflects each child’s uniqueness.”

Lucy Nation, 7, from Stratford Primary School says each of her classmates used glow-in-the-dark paint to decorate their own star.

“It was fun. I can’t wait to see my star in the glow and the dark tunnel.”

Fellow classmate Isabella Gunn, 8, decorated her star using yellow and orange paints.

“Those are the colours that I think a star is.”

Kate says at the end of each session the pupils add a star sticker to a board, to symbolise their involvement in the Puanga celebration.

“It’s something they can come in and show their whānau. It gives the children a sense of ownership.”