Mātauranga Māori and Maramataka

ISSUE 80 – KŌANGA (SPRING) 2019

Mātauranga Māori and

Maramataka

BuzzBOP’s mailSend BuzzBOP your photos, stories, and art!

Remember to include your name, age and

address on the back.

POST: Bay of Plenty Regional Council

Pollution Busters Club

Freepost 122076

PO Box 364

Whakatāne 3158

EMAIL: [email protected]

Kia ora Pollution BustersBuzzBOP and the team hope you have had a great term at school and are looking forward to your holiday break. It’s great that the days are getting longer and warmer, and all the spring flowers are out.

In this issue, we are learning about Mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) and Maramataka (the Māori lunar calendar); looking forward and planning ahead for the upcoming seasons.

There are lots of activities in this issue - BuzzBOP loves getting photos of the completed ones you do. On page 10, you can meet BuzzBOP’s friend Gina - she has an awesome job; and then enter the competition on page 11.

Send BuzzBOP a letter or email to let him know what great pollution busting things you have been up to and you might appear on BuzzBOP’s mail page.

We hope you have a wonderful break and enjoy spending time with whānau and friends.

Tiaki tonu ki a Ranginui rāua ko Papatūānuku – keep protecting our sky father and earth mother.

From BuzzBOP and the Pollution Busters team at Bay of Plenty Regional Council.

Jacob, Age 6

Great poster Jacob! Especially

because of what’s happening to the rainforests in Brazil

at the moment!

Savana, Age 12

You might have noticed this issue looks a little different – it is still printed on paper stock sourced from sustainable and legally harvested farmed trees, but we are reducing our carbon footprint by printing locally, only what we need, and reducing the freight costs for our newsletter.

2 Bay of Plenty Regional Council Toi Moana Pollution Busters Newsletter – Issue 80

Mātauranga Māori is the traditional knowledge passed down from the elders. Cut out and

fill the gaps

For example, (the Māori lunar calendar),

cultural practices like (healing and medicine),

(fishing), and (growing food).

It has been shared over many generations through

(family history), (discussions),

(proverbs or sayings) and (song).

We can use this knowledge to plan our activities and guide us to the best times and ways of doing things.

This Māori knowledge is a taonga (treasure), and we also can use it with modern science to find out how and why things happen, and together find solutions to environmental problems.

rongoā

waiata

Maramataka

hī ika

mahinga kai

kōrero

whakataukī

whakapapa

“ ”

If you don’t want to cut up your newsletter, draw or

write in the boxes

Te Ao Māori (the Māori world) is part of our kiwi culture in Aotearoa (New Zealand) and makes us unique and special. It is understanding that our environment has mauri (life force), and everything is connected.

2 Bay of Plenty Regional Council Toi Moana Pollution Busters Newsletter – Issue 80 Bay of Plenty Regional Council Toi Moana Pollution Busters Newsletter – Issue 80 3

Maramataka

The Māori lunar calendar Traditionally the Maori lunar calendar is used to guide the planting and harvesting of crops, fishing and hunting. Maramataka means ‘the turning of the moon’.

Maramataka marks the different stages of the moon (like new moon and full moon) in a month. Each night and month has a name (which is different for some hapū/iwi). Based on the phases of the moon, Maramataka tells you which days are good or bad for different activities in the natural world. Today many people use Maramataka to help them decide when it is the best time to do things.

You can find out more about Maramataka at www.tepapa.govt.nz/maramataka

Maramataka begins in June with the rising of Matariki - find out more about Matariki on page 6

Unscrable the words

NALUR _ _ _ _ _

ADLCENAR _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

MATMARAAKA _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

KIMRIATA _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Things to do:Observe the lunar cycle - Make a moon journal Every night try and observe the moon at the same time. Draw it and write the date, try this activity for a month or more. What do you notice?

Find out the te reo Māori names for the moon phases

I am a:

The natural world is always moving in cycles - like the seasons, tai moana (ocean tides), marama (moon), whetū (stars) and the fruiting and flowering of trees.

WHO AM I? I began my life as an egg laid in vegetation next to a stream at the end of summer, when the tide was very high. When I hatched, I was carried downstream and spent six months at sea. In spring I migrated up the river where I will grow into an adult. On my way past people tried to catch me to eat! They used the Maramataka to decide the best time to try. Our annual migration was an important mahinga kai resource for Māori.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ or _ _ _ _ _ _

AN

SWER

: whi

teba

it or

inan

ga

AN

SWER

: lun

ar, c

alen

dar,

Mar

amat

aka,

Mat

arik

i.


Seasons of MaramatakaDraw the seasons and fill the gaps using the words below - use the clues in each picture to help you.

Summer Winter Autumn Spring

Takurua Kōanga

RaumatiNgahuru

The earth and the people are cold. They build and light fires to keep warm.

The weather is warming, plants are starting to grow again. It’s time to get the whenua

(land) ready for planting.

The sun is hot. Fruits are ripening, and some crops are ready for harvest.

The pōhutukawa are flowering.

Crops have been harvested and the earth and weather is cooling. Store harvested

crops to be ready for Takurua.

Taku

rua

- Win

ter,

Kōa

nga

- Spr

ing,

Rau

mat

i - S

umm

er, N

gahu

ru -

Aut

umn

AN

SWER

: whi

teba

it or

inan

ga


According to myth, when Ranginui, the sky father, and Papatūānuku, the earth mother, were separated by their children, the god of the winds, Tāwhirimātea, became so angry that he tore out his eyes and threw them into the heavens. Matariki – Māori New Year – Te Ara Encyclopedia Of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/matariki-maori-new-year.

Make a star

MatarikiMatariki is the group of stars also known as the Pleiades or Seven Sisters.

They can be seen in the sky at different times and places during the year; there is only one time in the year you can’t see them at all. After this time, when we can see Matariki rising at dawn with the next new moon, the festival of Matariki is celebrated. This marks Te Tau Hou, the Māori New Year.

The date changes every year, but it is usually around the shortest day in June. Traditionally it is the end of the harvest and the beginning of the ‘new year’ planting season and is a time of celebration, feasting and fun!

YOU WILL NEED• Square of paper• Scissors

Original instructions sourced and adapted from www.origami-club.com

Find the center, fold to crease along the dotted lines. Open up.

Fold the pink dot bottom left to pink dot center.

Fold in the dotted line

Cut along the dotted line.

Fold in the dotted line.

Open up, then fold and open up each secion all the way round.

Fold backward along the dotted line.

Fold the square in half with your pattern on the outside. Keep the fold at the bottom.

The top section isn’t used


Kites are flown to celebrate Matariki - make your own manu tukutuku (kite)

YOU WILL NEED:

• Light paper or recycled plastic bag• 6 wooden skewers (or small light sticks)• Colour pens (optional)• Scissors• Tape • String (and string or ribbon for the tail)• Feathers

WHAT TO DO:

1. Tape the skewers together in pairs.

2. Join to make a triangle – secure with tape.

3. Lay the paper (or plastic) under the triangle and mark it about 4cm or bigger around the outside – cut it out.

4. Decorate with colour pens.

5. Attach the string to the skewers like in the picture, add a tail - use string or ribbon, you could stick feathers along it. Tape a feather to each corner of the kite.

6. Fold the edges of the paper or plastic triangle over the sides and tape down.

Go fly your kite on a windy day!

Did you know?The word manu means bird and kite

1

2

4

6

3

5

Traditionally manu tukutuku were made from materials like mānuka, raupō, toetoe, harakeke, supplejack and the coverings were made from bark cloth. Native bird feathers were also used.


S T N A L P T F

T R E E S S N L

M I C R O B E O

B H K P S L D W

S A M D A A R E

I O E B G N A R

C E I C Y D G S

S T C L Y J Y L

COMPOST FLOWERSGARDENKAILANDMICROBEPLANTS SEEDS SOIL TREES

WORDS TO FIND:

Planting by the moon

Trowel - Good for digging out weeds, digging

small holes, putting soil into

a pot.

Watering can - For watering your garden or pots. Make sure it is small as big ones can be heavy when full.

Hat and sunblockRemember to stay sun safe while gardening!

Help BuzzBOP f nd his way through the maze and collect all the things he needs to plant his seeds.

Garden fork - Used for breaking up lumpy soil.

Small stakes and string are good for marking out rows for seeds.

START

END

Planting by the moon doesn’t mean gardening at night! It’s about following the lunar calendar to pick the best days for each activity like planting and harvesting. For example in the Maramataka, Whiro (the day following a new moon) isn’t good for planting crops but Ōkoro (the fifth day after a new moon) is.

Gardening is lots of fun! Ask an adult at

your place if you can have your own small

garden to take care of and grow kai.

Choose a sunny spot that is sheltered from the winds

of Tāwhirimātea. If you don’t have space for a garden

you could try growing kai in pots or containers.

Find your local Maramataka and give planting by the

moon a go!

Plant more trees!

…and flowers for the bees


Compost in a jarYOU WILL NEED:

• Large glass jar• Organic matter (leaves,

grass clippings, and dirt)• Old paper• Kitchen scraps - like fruit and

vegetable peels, cores• Rainwater (about 1 cup)

WHAT TO DO:

1. Put a handful of soil in the jar.

2. Add some newspaper, kitchen scraps, leaves, grass clippings.

3. repeat steps 1 and 2 until the jar is nearly full.

4. Add rainwater.

5. Put a lid on it - with holes for oxygen.

6. Place it on a sunny windowsill.

7. Check it every couple of weeks and see nature work it’s magic. What is happening? Why do you think that is?

• Stakes - Tall stakes are good for putting in the ground next to a seedling so you can tie it up as it grows.

To grow healthy plants we also need healthy soil, and compost (wairākau) is an important ingredient.

Compost is nature’s way of recycling. It is made from waste garden materials and kitchen scraps. Good microbes (very tiny living things) insects and worms help them to decompose. Compost adds important nutrients and moisture to the soil.

Have a go at making compost in a jar and watch the process work.

Planting by the moon

STAY SAFE: It’s a good idea to wear a mask and gloves when working with soil and compost, and remember to wash your hands before and after!

Papatūānuku, earth, whenua, soil,

ground, – no matter what we call the

land, it is our home. It provides us

with our kai, our trees and flowers, our

medicines, materials to make our homes

and goods, and a place to play and have

fun – in all these ways, we depend on

the land for our well-being.


How to plant1. Pull out any weeds and remove any stones.

2. Use a garden fork (check with an adult first) to turn the soil over and to break up any lumps.

3. Sprinkle on some compost or vermicast (from your worm farm!).

4. Mark your row by using two small stakes and a piece of string to make a straight line.

5. Lightly water the soil with the watering can.

6. Check the instructions on the packet to see how far apart and how deep the seeds need to be.

7. Make a small trench (furrow) in the ground under the string with a stick.

8. Put the seeds into the furrow.

9. When the seeds are planted, cover the furrow with soil or compost.

10. Label your plants. You could write the plant name on an iceblock stick, or used compostable cutlery.

What do you do? I support our scientist team to connect with Tangata Whenua and assist them to implement environmental solutions based on our Māori ways of knowing (Mātauranga Māori).

What was your path to this role? As a child I was always fascinated by nature and ecosystems. I grew up in Kaingaroa Forest Village and I spent many of my holidays on my Grandparents farm. Both my Papa and Nanny were people of the land. I finished school early and met my husband not long after. We lived with his whānau on their Papakāinga (ancestral land). Here I continued to learn about deeper connections to Papatūānuku (Mother

Earth). My husband’s parents were closely involved with their tribal affairs and were marae people. During that time I became aware of the responsibilities I had inherited through whakapapa (genealogy) by helping the Kaumātua at the marae and observing them and sharing their traditional knowledge.

Not long after, I began university study still following my passion of environmental studies. The Resource Management Act had just been introduced and the importance of it resonated with me and I quickly realised how it would have implications for hapū and iwi and our Taonga-tuku-iho (lands, waters and natural resources). I continued with my study of Bachelor of Science completing a co-joint degree in Resource Management Planning and Earth Sciences. During this time I found having life experience before I began my studies to be an advantage. I continued on with and finished University with a Master of Science degree.

My first job was with Rotorua Lakes Council as a consent planner then I went onto working for Ngāti Rangiwehiwehi to set up and lead the environmental unit for the iwi (tribe). 12 years of iwi resource management and planning has lead me to my current role in BOPRC.

What is the best part of your job?I enjoy meeting and working with the diverse teams within BOPRC and integrating Māori ways of understanding in a real and meaningful way. I especially enjoy seeing this happen in my everyday life out in our community and the environment along with the growing appreciation of Mātauranga Māori (Māori ways of knowing) which gives me huge satisfaction. I see my core role in council as being an ‘Agent for Change’.

The following whakataukī of Sir Apirana Ngata has guided me along my journey over the years and continues to influence how I approach life in general;

Apirana Turupa Ngata

Ref: PUBL-0091-1899-001.

(New Zealand Illustrated

Magazine, Vol 1, page 12, 1899)

Alexander Turnbull Library,

Wellington, New Zealand

E tipu e rea mō ngā rā o tō aoKo tō ringa ki ngā rākau a te Pākehā

Hei ora mō te tinanaKo tō ngākau ki ngā tāonga a ō tïpuna Māori

Hei tikitiki mō tō māhuna Ko tō wairua ki tō atua, Nānā nei ngā mea katoa

– Tā Apirana Ngata

Grow and branch forth for the days destined to youYour hands to the tools of the Pākehā for the welfare of your body

Your heart to the treasures of your ancestors as adornments for your browYour spirit to God, who made all things

BuzzBOP’s Friend

Gina MohiPūtaiao Mātauranga (Māori Scientist)

BAY OF PLENTY REGIONAL

COUNCIL TOI MOANA


Crossword competition

Send your entry to:

POST: Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Pollution Busters Club, Freepost 122076, PO Box 364, Whakatāne 3158


Name:

Address:

Age: COMPETITION CLOSES: 30 November 2019

TIP: all the answers can be found in this newsletter

ACROSS

1. The day after the new moon - not the best for planting and fishing, but good for eeling.

4. Treasure

10. Traditional Māori knowledge

11. The Māori name for New Zealand (meaning Land of the Long White Cloud)

DOWN

2. Traditional Māori medicine

3. Māori New Year stars

5. Te reo Māori word that means bird and kite

6. Māori lunar calendar

7. God of the winds

8. Earth mother who nourishes all living things

9. Summer

1 2

3

4

5 6

7 8 9

10

11


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Information in this newsletter was sourced and adapted from: boprc.govt.nz, teara.govt.nz, tepapa.govt.nz, getready.govt.nz, whatstheplanstan.co.nz

POST THIS TO: Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Pollution Busters Club, Freepost 122076, PO Box 364, Whakatāne 3158 OR EMAIL: [email protected]

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Drop, Cover and Hold

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Mātauranga Māori and Maramataka

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