Rereata Makiha: date chosen for Matariki public holiday 2022

Manako is back on Radio Waatea, and Kōrero Poto is back too.

Here is the original interview (Manako, Radio Waatea, 5th Feb 2021)

Here is my summary:

I tēnei uiuinga ka kōrero tahi a Eruera Rerekura rāua ko Rereata Makiha. He tohunga kōkōrangi, tātai arorangi a Rereata Makiha, ka mutu, mai rāno i whakatairangatia e ia ngā āhuatanga me ngā painga o te maramataka Māori.

Ko te kaupapa o te uiuinga, ko te kōwhiringa o te rā ka whakanuitia a Matariki hei rā whakatā-ā-ture ā tērā tau. Ko te 24 o Pipiri te rā i tohua.

Ko te tohu i a Matariki hei rā whakatā mō te motu whānui tētahi o ngā kī taurangi a Reipa i mua i te kōwhiringa-ā-motu i tērā tau, ā, kua tutuki ināianei.

Ko tā Rereata kupu tuatahi, he mihi nui ki a Rangi Matamua mō ana mahi hei hāpai i tēnei kaupapa, ā, he mihi hoki te Kāwanatanga mō ā rātou kawe i tēnei tino kaupapa o te ao Māori, me ā rātou whakamana i ngā whakaaro o ngā tūpuna. I whai wāhi a Rereata i tētahi kōmiti i whakatūria e te Kāwana ki te wānanga i tēnei kaupapa, otirā, e ai ki a Rereata, i waihotia ki a Rangi Matamua te kōwhiri i te rā, nā tōna tino mōhio ki ngā āhuatanga o ngā whetū – ko ia hoki te kaihautū o te kōmiti. He rā nekeneke, nā te mea he rerekē ia tau ngā wāhanga o te maramataka Māori.

Ko tētahi āhuatanga i āta wānangatia e te kōmiti, ko ngā tikanga rerekē o tēnā iwi, o tēnā iwi – hei tauira, ki ētahi, ko Puanga te tohu matua o te tau hōu Māori. Otirā, kua whakaaetia kia waiho a Matariki hei tohu matua, nā te whakapapa o tērā mea, nā te hononga o Matariki ki ngā moutere o Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa.

I kōrero tahi rāua mō te āwangawanga ka riro tēnei rā hei mahi moni e tauiwi, kei riro hoki tēnei rā hei tuku i ngā kōrero a iwi kē, Pākeha mai, tauiwi mai. E ai ki a Rereata, he wā tēnei mō te tuku kōrero mō te mātauranga Māori; mai rāno i pēhia te mātauranga Māori e te ao Pākehā, nō reira, me waiho tēnei wā mō te mātauranga Māori.

Kupu

uiuinga – interview

tohunga kōkōrangi – expert in astronomy, knowledge of the heavens

tohunga tātai arorangi – expert in astronomy, knowledge of the heavens

whakatairanga(tia) – promote

painga – benefits, good things that come from something

maramataka – calendar

kōwhiri – choose

kōwhiringa-ā-motu – election

whai wāhi – take part

kaihautū – leader, chairperson

rā nekeneke – moveable day (not the same every year)

āwangawanga – concern

pēhi(a) – suppress(ed)