Whakarāmemene

"Matariki tāpuapua. Matariki nāna i ao ake te kai ki runga. Matariki hunga nui. Matariki ahunga nui. Te ope o te rua Matariki. Ka rewa a Matariki, ka maoka te hinu. Ka rewa a Matariki ka rere te kanakana.

Matariki is the star that signifies reflection, hope, our connection to the environment and the gathering of people. Matariki is also connected to the health and wellbeing of people."                                        (source: Te Wānanga o Aotearoa)

In the climate of a global pandemic, the concept of coming together is tainted with a touch of apprehension. Thanks to the efforts of our community this has been made a lot easier than the situations elsewhere in the world. To celebrate being able to come together, we at Dunedin Public Libraries shared kai last night, with our families, at the City Library and saw in Te Tau Hou The New Year.

Further Reading:

Marae : the heart of Māori culture.

Tikanga Maori : living by Maori values

The third pillar : the revival of community in a polarised world

We make it better : the LGBTQ community and their positive contributions to society

Together : our community cookbook

Better together : creating community in an uncertain world

Find out more about Puaka Matariki.