Mānawatia a Matariki Nick and Nick's Kōrero whānau.
For those who have seen my various opinions here or in many other spaces online, it is no secret that I'm proud to be Māori. It sickens me to see how our current government have been so determined to destroy everything that Māori hold dear to them, whether that be Te Reo, Tikanga, our Taiao (environment), and sometimes it feels to me, our very existence and yet, this government seem quite happy when Marae are the ones to open their doors when Aotearoa has natural disasters. They are also happy to have pōwhiri and be shown manākitanga from mana whenua when they attend the many events they go to.
Matariki or Puanga, which is another cluster of whetū (stars) which some iwi celebrate, is a special time, not just for Māori, but for everyone in Aotearoa to remember those who have passed since the last rising of Matariki, it's a time to acknowledge the present and enjoy being with those you love through the sharing of kai, but it's also a time to set goals for the future. My goal is to make sure this current government gets tossed out.
Ngā mihi Dame Jacinda Ardern for acknowledging the importance of this special time.
👍💯 💪 I may have come to understanding of my Maori heritage AFTER growing up with it way out on the edges being denied by elders who were afraid of the prevailing predjudice & misinformation, but since then have watched as my whanau, young & old, have embraced their whakapapa with pride & actively work to improve the future. When Marae quickly & without fuss step up to support their communities without having to be asked, and without judging the ethnicity or politics of these who need them, that is when I am most proud 🫂
I also love the Māori rendition of hallelujah by the beautiful Rotorua boys high choir! Thank you so much Nick for this morning‘s beautiful and thought-provoking column. I agree that we are far better working together and enjoying the contributions cultural and otherwise of everyone who lives here. I especially value the Māori component which should be sacred to all of us in that it should never be overlooked or undervalued. Happy Matariki to you and yours.
This is so beautiful Nick. Matariki was the first new public holiday introduced in Aotearoa in nearly 100 years. It is the first purely Māori holiday in this country that predates the arrival of Captain Cook. It is the first reinstated Indigenous knowledge celebration as a public holiday anywhere in the world. Isn't that marvellous? I love it and it really makes our little country unique and special. Yet, still you see moaning; :"another public holiday where I have to pay my staff for a day off etc." Go look at the stars. It's only one day.
I want to infinity times like/love your thought this morning. I am so despairing when it could all be so different. This evening I will go to the 40 years Gala Celebration at Parliament to remember the passing of the Homosexual Law Reform Bill. Maybe this Bill would not have got through with this Coalition of Destruction. I listened to Dr Anna Breman's interview on Nine til Noon this morning and it felt like her thought is being molded by the right wing agenda.
As always Nick, what an excellent and timely article today.
I suspect Luxon/Peters/Seymour would know they cannot tamper with tomorrow's Matariki given how widely it is enjoyed and celebrated. Even they must surely have figured that out.
Some people in my town think our new hospital is now a Māori hospital because it has a Māori name. It always had a Māori name , Taranaki DHB but funny that some people didn't know that. Sadly my Rohe (Taranaki) was part of the first land wars and we still have many of the soldiers families who were brought up with their racist beliefs of Māori.
Mānawatia a Marariki. Midwinter is a good time to pause, reflect and plan. Maybe it's also a good time to make a few "new year's resolutions", since the ones we made on 1 January barely made good till the 31st.
Reading you each day keeps me sane in the face of all the destruction of this coalition. Sometimes it feels like we are living in the 1930s and that ended badly. I hope most women express their disgust about the stolen pay equity at the ballot box, even the rich and sorted.
I truly believe that if the coalition tries to get rid of the Matariki holiday there will be civil unrest.
The country has taken it to our hearts.
In another week where Marae have again offered hospitality to stranded workers tourists and locals around Kaikoura it's obvious to me that we are better working together.
Happy Matariki to everyone, enjoy the day, attend an event and celebrate our beautiful country and culture.
If you have to work, thank you for your mahi, I hope we all give you good vibes when interacting with you.
Mānawatia a Matariki, Nick and all of us who read and follow you and our whanau and friends. I loved both waiata on your post today Nick. They fill me with hope. My plan for tomorrow is to have a hopeful day, a positive day, and not get caught up in the destructiveness of our government. Wish me luck:)...and thanks for your thoughtful post today.
Tino ataahua tou kōrero Nick! I too have always wondered, ‘What are some so afraid of.’ There’s the front face, those who stand in defence of. Then behind, the absolute beauty of wairua, aroha, tautoko, manaakitanga. That which is heart touching and often moves me unashamedly to tears.
That’s the shame, that many detractors will never get to experience. Quietly I’d say, for some, exactly what is needed.
Brilliant article Nick thankyou I now know more about those stars than I did. I met a man yesterday he was picking up some horse manure for his garden & in the introduction of himself got himself mentioning & used her name incorrectly Jacinta which got my back up straight away & then he started talking about what kids learn at school these days so I cut him off by saying how wonderful kids spoke te reo now & how I wished we'd been taught like that well he just shut his trap just like that.😂😅😂I pointed at the manure & told him to help himself.
Well done Pauline. I try and present my thoughts on various issues but heck, sometimes it's tough. It always amazes me that some people, like your manure man, say these very marginal things and just assume that you will agree with them. What the heck!
I have friends who say such stuff too - it distresses me, because I think they aren't really thinking about what they are saying - just repeating what they have heard on the radio or from certain politicians. So I am trying to counter it, like you Pauline, by making positive comments whenever I can. It is what we regularly feed our minds on that shapes our opinions.
Lovely article Nick...I felt very emotional thinking how it could have been if these horrors of humans hadn't got in and started wrecking everything good. Have a lovely day 😊
It makes so much sense as our New Year as we're past the shortest day (even though there's plenty of winter to come). I love the way it has become embedded in our culture so quickly which to me shows it resonates with so many of us.
I love the way it prompts us to reflect and remember those who have gone before.
Mānawatia a Matariki Nick and Nick's Kōrero whānau.
For those who have seen my various opinions here or in many other spaces online, it is no secret that I'm proud to be Māori. It sickens me to see how our current government have been so determined to destroy everything that Māori hold dear to them, whether that be Te Reo, Tikanga, our Taiao (environment), and sometimes it feels to me, our very existence and yet, this government seem quite happy when Marae are the ones to open their doors when Aotearoa has natural disasters. They are also happy to have pōwhiri and be shown manākitanga from mana whenua when they attend the many events they go to.
Matariki or Puanga, which is another cluster of whetū (stars) which some iwi celebrate, is a special time, not just for Māori, but for everyone in Aotearoa to remember those who have passed since the last rising of Matariki, it's a time to acknowledge the present and enjoy being with those you love through the sharing of kai, but it's also a time to set goals for the future. My goal is to make sure this current government gets tossed out.
Ngā mihi Dame Jacinda Ardern for acknowledging the importance of this special time.
What's good for Māori is good for everyone.
exactly
👍💯 💪 I may have come to understanding of my Maori heritage AFTER growing up with it way out on the edges being denied by elders who were afraid of the prevailing predjudice & misinformation, but since then have watched as my whanau, young & old, have embraced their whakapapa with pride & actively work to improve the future. When Marae quickly & without fuss step up to support their communities without having to be asked, and without judging the ethnicity or politics of these who need them, that is when I am most proud 🫂
RBHS rendition of Hallelujah says it all - the new New Zealand is too good and strong to be despoiled by this coalition. Kia kaha!
I also love the Māori rendition of hallelujah by the beautiful Rotorua boys high choir! Thank you so much Nick for this morning‘s beautiful and thought-provoking column. I agree that we are far better working together and enjoying the contributions cultural and otherwise of everyone who lives here. I especially value the Māori component which should be sacred to all of us in that it should never be overlooked or undervalued. Happy Matariki to you and yours.
This is so beautiful Nick. Matariki was the first new public holiday introduced in Aotearoa in nearly 100 years. It is the first purely Māori holiday in this country that predates the arrival of Captain Cook. It is the first reinstated Indigenous knowledge celebration as a public holiday anywhere in the world. Isn't that marvellous? I love it and it really makes our little country unique and special. Yet, still you see moaning; :"another public holiday where I have to pay my staff for a day off etc." Go look at the stars. It's only one day.
Kia ora Darien...I did not know that Matariki is the first indigenous holiday to be celebrated...how wonderful!
Neither did I... wonderful indeed Katie...
I want to infinity times like/love your thought this morning. I am so despairing when it could all be so different. This evening I will go to the 40 years Gala Celebration at Parliament to remember the passing of the Homosexual Law Reform Bill. Maybe this Bill would not have got through with this Coalition of Destruction. I listened to Dr Anna Breman's interview on Nine til Noon this morning and it felt like her thought is being molded by the right wing agenda.
Thank you, Gaylene. 40 years since the Homosexual Law Reform Bill - Labour have much to be proud of.
Happy Matariki! Together we are better!
As always Nick, what an excellent and timely article today.
I suspect Luxon/Peters/Seymour would know they cannot tamper with tomorrow's Matariki given how widely it is enjoyed and celebrated. Even they must surely have figured that out.
So beautiful that version of Halleluiah.
Some people in my town think our new hospital is now a Māori hospital because it has a Māori name. It always had a Māori name , Taranaki DHB but funny that some people didn't know that. Sadly my Rohe (Taranaki) was part of the first land wars and we still have many of the soldiers families who were brought up with their racist beliefs of Māori.
It sounds like a few people might still be lamenting the loss of Mt Egmont. 😂
OH no they still say that's his name !! to the point it becomes an argument about who was first about naming him.
Mānawatia a Marariki. Midwinter is a good time to pause, reflect and plan. Maybe it's also a good time to make a few "new year's resolutions", since the ones we made on 1 January barely made good till the 31st.
Reading you each day keeps me sane in the face of all the destruction of this coalition. Sometimes it feels like we are living in the 1930s and that ended badly. I hope most women express their disgust about the stolen pay equity at the ballot box, even the rich and sorted.
I truly believe that if the coalition tries to get rid of the Matariki holiday there will be civil unrest.
The country has taken it to our hearts.
In another week where Marae have again offered hospitality to stranded workers tourists and locals around Kaikoura it's obvious to me that we are better working together.
Happy Matariki to everyone, enjoy the day, attend an event and celebrate our beautiful country and culture.
If you have to work, thank you for your mahi, I hope we all give you good vibes when interacting with you.
Mānawatia a Matariki, Nick and all of us who read and follow you and our whanau and friends. I loved both waiata on your post today Nick. They fill me with hope. My plan for tomorrow is to have a hopeful day, a positive day, and not get caught up in the destructiveness of our government. Wish me luck:)...and thanks for your thoughtful post today.
Tino ataahua tou kōrero Nick! I too have always wondered, ‘What are some so afraid of.’ There’s the front face, those who stand in defence of. Then behind, the absolute beauty of wairua, aroha, tautoko, manaakitanga. That which is heart touching and often moves me unashamedly to tears.
That’s the shame, that many detractors will never get to experience. Quietly I’d say, for some, exactly what is needed.
Manawatia Matariki koutou.
Brilliant article Nick thankyou I now know more about those stars than I did. I met a man yesterday he was picking up some horse manure for his garden & in the introduction of himself got himself mentioning & used her name incorrectly Jacinta which got my back up straight away & then he started talking about what kids learn at school these days so I cut him off by saying how wonderful kids spoke te reo now & how I wished we'd been taught like that well he just shut his trap just like that.😂😅😂I pointed at the manure & told him to help himself.
Well done Pauline. I try and present my thoughts on various issues but heck, sometimes it's tough. It always amazes me that some people, like your manure man, say these very marginal things and just assume that you will agree with them. What the heck!
I have friends who say such stuff too - it distresses me, because I think they aren't really thinking about what they are saying - just repeating what they have heard on the radio or from certain politicians. So I am trying to counter it, like you Pauline, by making positive comments whenever I can. It is what we regularly feed our minds on that shapes our opinions.
Yeah it gets me too that they make those assumptions.
Well done Pauline it sounds like he was talking what he was shoveling
😂😅😂🤣
Lovely article Nick...I felt very emotional thinking how it could have been if these horrors of humans hadn't got in and started wrecking everything good. Have a lovely day 😊
Well written Nick.
I love Matariki, it is so us.
It makes so much sense as our New Year as we're past the shortest day (even though there's plenty of winter to come). I love the way it has become embedded in our culture so quickly which to me shows it resonates with so many of us.
I love the way it prompts us to reflect and remember those who have gone before.
Mānawatia a Matariki!
I wrote my comment, then listened to the Boys waiata. Oh my, goose bumps and shivers, soo impressive.