National Hautapu Ceremony at home this Matariki

L-r: Paulette Tamati-Elliffe, Kare Tipa, Ripeka Pōtiki and Manuhaea Mamaru-O’Regan.

Nā Sascha Wall 

For Māori, stars have always served as vital indicators in our natural world, signalling the conclusion of seasons and cycles and heralding transitions into new phases. The appearance of Te Iwa o Matariki and Puaka in the sky marks the start of the Māori new year.

When Matariki emerges on the eastern horizon in the morning, a ceremony takes place known as Whāngai i te Hautapu (or simply Hautapu). Hautapu involves preparing kai as an offering of nourishment to the stars that guide us through the year. The ceremony also encompasses acknowledging whānau who have passed and celebrating whānau who
are with us.

Aotearoa’s official Matariki programme began with a Hautapu hosted for the first time by Te Rūnaka o Ōtākou and Kāi Tahu in Te Waipounamu. Over 200 attendees assembled atop Treble Cone in Wānaka for the early morning ceremony, including Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, ministers Paul Goldsmith, Nicola Willis and Shane Reti, alongside Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson and respected Māori astronomer and scholar, Professor Rangi Mātāmua.

Ngāi Tahu kaimahi and talented creative, Richie Mills, was the official photographer of the Wānaka Hautapu and captured beautiful moments during the ceremony.