Mānawatia a Matariki

Mānawatia a Matariki! Wherever you are and whatever you’re doing, we wish you a wonderful Matariki.

Matariki is the Māori name of the star cluster also known as Pleiades or the Seven Sisters. It marks the start of the Māori New Year and is about remembering the past, celebrating the present, and planning for the future.

The star cluster is significant to many of our ethnic communities. It is known as Subaru in Japan, Krittika in India and Mao in China. The Ancient Arabs called it ‘Thuraya’, and it indicated the passing of winter and the start of summer and rain fall.

It is a special time of year for Māori, and this year marks the second time it has been recognised as a public holiday. There are many ways you can acknowledge and honour Matariki: Join in the celebrations, connect with nature, or take time to learn more about the history of Matariki and the significance of the star cluster to Māori and other communities.

Check out a list of Matariki events and some great resources.

For us at the Ministry, it’s an opportunity to reflect on our work over the last year and its impact on our communities. We continue to engage with communities to better understand their needs and communicate these to other Government agencies. One thing the community has told us is they wanted a more user-friendly and streamlined process when applying for our Ethnic Communities Development Fund. We recently made changes to the Fund application process in response to this, while also realigning it with our Strategy priorities. Find out more.

Our Ministry will be closed on 14 July for the public holiday. We hope everyone enjoys this time with family and friends. Wishing you all a very happy Matariki.

Last modified: 13 July 2023