Pou Māori Matariki Commission

TE AO MĀORI | ISSUE SEVEN | MATARIKI

Written by AUT MĀORI and Breana-Ann Kaponga @autmaori and Breana-Ann Kaponga @kxpnga

Kua haehae ngā hihi o MatarikiThe rays of Matariki are spread

This Matariki artwork was commissioned by the Pou Māori team at AUT. Each tau hōu (new year), nine artworks are commissioned to celebrate the rising of Matariki. Each artwork is downloadable and accompanied by a scannable QR code containing information about the star cluster. They encourage you to print these posters and hang them in your spaces as a learning opportunity for all. (Please note: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.)

Breana-Ann Kaponga

(Te Atiawa)

This year, the Pou Māori Matariki commissioned artist is Breana-Ann Kaponga. As a third year tauira , Breana-Ann studies the Bachelor of Design degree majoring in Animation, Visual Effects and Game Design. Breana-Ann has depicted each of the whetū in connection to a Manu (bird). “Just like us and our ancestors, they are representations of perseverance against time. They represent the connection between the living and the spiritual world. I hold them dear to my heart as they have guided and inspired me to become the artist that I am today.”

Mahi Toi

“I was inspired by the Kiwi artist Glenn Jones, whose bold colours and lineless

Kiwiana style evoke nostalgia. I wanted to combine these aspects with my own

personal style. In my interpretation, each whetū is represented by a native manu. Manu in kōrero tuku iho, pūrākau, and whakataukī hold significant meanings and represent

connections between the living and spiritual world. I hold them dear to my heart

as they have guided and inspired me to become the artist that I am today. Just like

us and our ancestors, they are representations of perseverance through time.

Each manu represents a whetū with a strong connection. Waitī and Waitā are the

Kōtuku and Kawau Tikitiki, who reside in freshwater and saltwater environments

where they source their kai. Waipuna-ā-Rangi and Ururangi are represented by

the Kārearea and Riroriro, known as weather forecasters. The Riroriro’s call

signals wind, and the Kārearea warns of storms. Tupuānuku and Tupuārangi are represented by the Kiwi and Kererū. Tupuārangi links to hākari, while the Kiwi reflects Tupuānuku through its connection to food that grows underground. Pōhutukawa and Hiwa-i-te-Rangi are the Huia and

Kōkako. The Huia represents remembrance, as although its species was driven to

extinction, it lives on vividly in memory.The Kōkako symbolises hope through its

recovery from near extinction. For Matariki, I chose the Kākāpō, one of Aotearoa’s oldest manu, representing longevity and guidance over the other whetū. These works celebrate native manu and their connection to Matariki, while encouraging wānanga around mana taiao. Through kotahitanga and shared kōrero, we can show aroha for the taiao and work towards protecting it.”

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