Brooke Wyllie with his daughters Freya (left), 8, and Darcy, 6. Photo / Alyssa Smith
Brooke Wyllie with his daughters Freya (left), 8, and Darcy, 6. Photo / Alyssa Smith
With free glow-in-the-dark face painting, kapa haka and The Dance Project performances and a fire show by Fire and Flow NZ, the Māori New Year was welcomed and celebrated in Whaakahurangi Stratford on Thursday last week.
Stratford District Council’s Starry Night event also featured waiata (songs), korero (conversations) and kanikani (dance).
The night before Aotearoa New Zealand’s public holiday for Matariki, Prospero Place was packed with people who had come along to enjoy the free entertainment and activities on offer.
While the public holiday is named Matariki after the star of the same name, the rising of which marks the start of the Māori New Year, in Taranaki it is the Puanga star, in the same cluster as Matariki, that is more easily visible.
Fire and Flow entertained the audience with a fire show featuring fire spinning using poi and other objects. Photo / Alyssa Smith
Visitor Information and Library Services team leader Bridget Roper says there was plenty to do on the night, with the library open late offering a warm space and a free craft activity for tamariki to try their hand at.
“It was the perfect chance for families to spend time together and draw a star on a black scratch card.”
Brooke Wyllie and his children Freya, 8, and Darcy, 6, were among the many people to enjoy the activity and the overall event. Brooke says he and his family make the effort to celebrate Puanga together each year.
This was the first year they had attended the town’s Starry Night event, but it wouldn’t be last.
“It’s important to celebrate Māori culture and the event was a way to celebrate with the community.”
Freya says she and Darcy have learnt a lot about Puanga at Toko School.
“We’ve learnt the name of the stars in the constellation and why Taranaki celebrates Puanga instead of Matariki.”
Darcy says this year her family planted a tree to celebrate Puanga.
“We always celebrate as a family. We do a lot of gardening and Puanga has helped us with it because it symbolises when we should harvest crops.”
There weren’t only cardboard stars being created at the library on the night. The Whaakahurangi Māori Women’s Welfare League was there teaching people how to make them out of harakeke (flax).
President Lovey Reed says she was delighted the group was able to come along and share its skills with the community.
Emma Dillon teaching Sandra Joyce how to weave. Photo / Alyssa Smith
“The family concept of the event is something we like, and staying with that whānau concept we’ve helped council with this amazing celebration.”
People were also invited to write down their thoughts and aspirations for the new year and hang them on the Puanga rākau (tree).
The Puanga rākau (tree). Photo / Alyssa Smith
The Percy Thomson Gallery was also open late. Lucia Watkin, 4, and her family took the opportunity to view the Toi o Taranaki ki te Taonga exhibition.
