The appearance of the Matariki (Pleiades) cluster stars in the night sky signals the Māori New Year.

Over 19-22 June each year, many New Zealanders find themselves remembering those who have passed, while celebrating the present and looking toward the future.

“Matariki is a special period that connects us all to the land, the sky, and each other”, High Commissioner Si’alei van Toor says.

Matariki also traditionally played a role in Māori planning the harvest year.

Its appearance in June/July helped predict the upcoming season. Clear and bright stars promised a warm and abundant winter, while hazy stars warned of a bleak winter.

“Whether you call it Matariki (Māori), Mataali’i (Samoa), Makali’i (Hawai’i), Matali’i (Tonga), or Matari’i (Tahiti), our shared history of astronomy and seafaring means we Polynesian peoples can all celebrate in our own way.”

In Samoa, Mata’ali’i has a different origin story. The watchful ‘eyes of the chiefs’ refer to the single eyes still open and visible, belonging to the seven chiefs who went to heaven after passing on. And when Matariki disappeared around April/May, it signalled the time to preserve crops for the winter season.

Matariki is also a time to celebrate with whānau (family) and loved ones.

This Matariki, the New Zealand High Commission is excited to be sharing our celebrations with our Samoa aiga.

After months of hard work by Samoa Voyaging Society, Samoa's own double-hulled va'a – the Gaualofa – celebrated its restoration with its first voyages in several years as part of the New Zealand-funded ‘Manaaki Guardians’ programme with Conservation International. The Gaualofa continues the ancient tradition of celestial navigation shared by our peoples to traverse the great distances of Moana Nui a Kiwa, and has now returned home to Mulinu’u Peninsula. Look out for the Gaualofa's homecoming in the coming month.

The New Zealand High Commission was also pleased to screen a one-off film screening of ‘Kōkā’ on 19 June, a film released the same day across 100 cinemas in New Zealand, Samoa, Fiji and Papua New Guinea. The film in both English and Māori is about two wāhine (women) who form a bond as they confront past traumas on a shared journey of healing, community and reconciliation.

Our Samoan and Māori ancestors are bound by this deep history under the sky and stars. So wherever you are over this Matariki season, whether with your loved ones or not, remember to look up in remembrance, celebration, and preparation for the future.