TAMARIKI A IHOWA Tamariki Me Te Taiohi Pukapuka
MAORI POSTAL AOTEAROA Issue 16, Pipiri 2020
Children’s and Teens Magazine - MAORI POSTAL AOTEAROA
Translation of Words used in this Issue: Aroha – Love Atua – God Hemo – Die Hoa – Friend Hongongoi – July Ihowa – Jehovah God Ihu Karaiti – Jesus Christ Iti – Small Iwi – People Ka Pai – Good Kenehi - Genesis Kino – Bad Makariri – Cold Maramataka – Calendar Paipera Tapu – Holy Bible Pakiwaitara – Legend Papa – Father Po – Night Ra – Sun Rangi – Sky Ripeka – Cross Tama – Son Tamaiti – Child Tamariki – Children Whaea – Mother Whakaari – Promise Whakapapa – Ancestry Whanau – Family Whenua – Land Whetu – Star Numbers: Tahi – One Rua – Two Toru – Three Wha – Four Rima – Five Ono – Six Whitu – Seven Waru – Eight Iwa – Nine Tekau – Ten
MATARIKI TENA KOE HE AHA TE MATARIKI? Matariki is the Maori name for the group of nga whetu known as Pleiades. The full name is “Nga mata a te Ariki Tawhirimatea – the eyes of the God Tawhirimatea”. It is also the name of the Maori New Year celebration. Matariki travels the night rangi during the year until the colder months when it disappears for about 28 days. When it reappears, this is a signal that the Maori New Year has begun. Puaka is the first whetu to appear of the New Year. Many years ago when iwi saw Puaka rise on the horizon, they knew that Matariki would rise in e toru days time. They would make preparations to celebrate the New Year and give thanks for the many blessings they had, while remembering those iwi that had gone before them. Matariki was a signal for when to plant crops. If the nga whetu were clear and bright, it was a sign that a ka pai season lay ahead and planting began in Mahuru. But if the nga whetu were hazy, a makariri winter awaited so planting didn’t begin until Whiringa-a-nuku. Today Matariki is about celebrating the unique place in which we live, and giving respect to the whenua we live on. Matariki is celebrated with education, remembrance and the planting of new trees and crops which signal new beginnings. It’s a time to learn about the whenua we live on and to remember whakapapa who have passed from this world and the legacy they left behind. Maori follow the Maori lunar maramataka, so the dates for Matariki change each year. This year Matariki begins on 13 Hongongoi.
WHAT IS MATARIKI?
MATARIKI TE PAKIWAITARA There are different stories about Matariki and its origins. The following is one that comes from Maori Astronomer Dr Rangi Matamua. “According to legend, Ranginui (the sky papa) and Papatuanuku (the earth whaea) were separated by their tamariki who wanted more freedom. However, Tawhirimatea (the god of wind) was not happy about the separation but had been over-ruled by his siblings. In return Tawhirimatea waged war against his siblings defeating them all, except Tumatauenga (the god of war). Tumatauenga was angry with Tawhirimatea for what he had done, so to punish him he tore his eyes out and threw them into the rangi. They remain there to this day as the whetu cluster known as Matariki. This is why the wind is so changeable as he is stumbling around blind.�
ThE LEGEND
MATARIKI NA WAI I HANGA? Matariki is a cluster of about one thousand nga whetu, but only e whitu are visible without a telescope. The biggest and brightest whetu is named Matariki, and is 5.7 million kilometres wide. This is over e waru times bigger than our ra, and our ra can fit 1.3 million earths inside it! We are so iti compared to our universe! Paipera Tapu asks us in Isaiah 40:26 to “Look at the rangi at po: Who do you think made all this? Who marches this army of nga whetu out each po, counts them off, calls each by name – so magnificent, so powerful – and never overlooks a single one?” And then tell us in Isaiah 40:28 “Ihowa is the Creator of all you can see or imagine. He doesn’t get tired out, and doesn’t pause to catch His breath. He knows everything – inside and out.” And then in Job 9:9 “Ihowa is the maker of the Bear and Orion, Matariki (the Pleiades) and the constellations of the south.” What is even more amazing than the massive size of our universe, is the Atua who made all this – Ihowa - wants to have a relationship with us! Yes, Ihowa wants to be our hoa. He wants YOU to be a part of His whanau. Do you know that because we have all done things wrong, there is nothing we could do to be good enough to be a part of the whanau of Ihowa? But Ihowa has so much aroha for you, He has made a way for you to join His whanau. YAY!! Check out page 10.
WHO CREATED MATARIKI?
MATARIKI KEI HEA MATARIKI? Matariki is found low on the horizon in the north east end of the rangi. Try looking here between 5:30am and 6:30am. First, find the pot (the bottom three nga whetu of the pot are also called Tautoru, or Orion’s Belt). To find Puanga, look above the pot until you see the bright whetu. To find Matariki, keep going. To the left of the pot, find the bright orange star, Taumata-kuku. Follow an imaginery line from Tautoru (the bottom three nga whetu of the pot), across to Taumata-kuku. Keep going until you hit a cluster of nga whetu.
The Pot
That cluster is Matariki. If you have ka pai eyes, you should be able to pick out each whetu. If it looks fuzzy, look just above or below it and the nga whetu should be clearer. This picture from AstronomyNZ, shows the relative position of Matariki to Taumata-kuku, Tautoru (Orion’s Belt), Puanga and Takurua. www.blog.teara.govt.nz beginner’s guide to finding matariki
WHERE IS MATARIKI?
MATARIKI HE AHA NGA INGOA O NGA WHETU MATARIKI? A H
E K
I M
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NG WH R
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WHAT ARE THE NAMES OF THE MATARIKI STARS?
MATARIKI HANGA ETAHI WHETU PEPA PREP: Fold corner to centre, crease. Then fold to bottom and
TAHI: Fold corner 1 to base of triangle.
crease. Unfold. Repeat with each corner.
RUA: Fold half of corner back up, along the crease, to reveal the number 2.
TORU: Fold corner 3 to base of triangle.
RIMA: Fold corner 5 to base of triangle. WHA: Fold half of corner back up, along the crease, to reveal the number 4.
ONO: Fold half of corner back up, along the crease, to reveal the number 6.
WHITU: Tuck corner 7 into the whetu, hiding the number 6.
MAKE SOME PAPER STARS FOR MATARIKI
JOIN THE WHANAU OF IHOWA Have you ever told a lie? Have you ever disobeyed your parents? We all do things we shouldn’t do, which makes us all sinners. Ihowa is perfect and holy and can’t have sin anywhere near Him. Because the kino things we do separate us from Ihowa, when we hemo we will be punished. But Ihowa sent His only tama, Ihu Karaiti, to earth to take our punishment by dying on a wooden ripeka. Paipera Tapu says that if you are sorry for the things you do wrong and know you need help to change, then believe Ihu Karaiti died for you to make a way so you can become a tamaiti of Ihowa. You can pray/talk to Ihowa and tell Him you are sorry for your sin. Tell Him you know Ihu was punished for you, and you want Ihu to take charge of your life. You are choosing to live for Him and aroha Him with all your heart, mind and soul. Roma 10:9 “Ara ki te whakaae tou mangai ko Ihu te Ariki, a ki te whakapono tou ngakau na te Atua ia i whakaara ake i te hunga mate, e ora koe.” (“If you confess with your mouth that Ihu is Lord and believe in your heart that Ihowa raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”)
When you receive Ihu as your Lord and Saviour, you will still be a tamaiti of your parents, but you will also be a part of the whanau of Ihowa! Hoani 1:12 “Tena ko te hunga i manako ki a ia, i tukua mai e ia ki a ratou nga tikanga e meinga ai ratou hei tamariki ma te Atua, ki te hunga hoki e whakapono ana ki tona ingoa.” (“To whoever did want Him, … He made to be children of God.”)
“NGA WHETU KI ROTO AKU WHATU”
by Abram (Kenehi 15) Ihowa made me a whakaari that was so hard to believe, I just had to believe it! It started when I was feeling sorry for myself. I was sad because Ihowa hadn’t given me any tamariki with my beloved wife, Sarai. But do you know what Ihowa did? Ihowa made me a whakaari. We went outside and Ihowa showed me the nga whetu in the vast night rangi. “How many nga whetu do you see?” Ihowa asked me. “There are too many to count!” I said. “That’s how many descendants you will have,” Ihowa said, “That’s a whakaari.” “Wow,” I thought. “That many generations will come from me?” But Ihowa didn’t stop there. “Your whanau will need a place to live so I am giving you all the whenua you see before you.” Ihowa said. Again, “WOW!” One thing is for sure, I will never look at the nga whetu the same way again. I think there’s something really interesting about the nga whakaari of Ihowa. They often come when we least expect it. Just when everything seems hopeless, Ihowa comes through with a whakaari to take care of us. That’s what a hoa does. I should know because iwi call me a friend of Ihowa. Ihowa is your hoa too. When you read the Paipera Tapu, you can read many of the nga whakaari Ihowa has made to you. And the biggest one of all is that IHOWA WILL ALWAYS AROHA YOU. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCcRK0efOMk
NGA KUPU WHAKAARI A TE ARIKI IHOWA IS ALWAYS FAITHFUL.
IHOWA WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU.
IHOWA WILL AROHA YOU FOREVER.
“What the Lord says is right and true. He is faithful in everything He does.” Psalm 33:4
“I will never leave you. I will never desert you.” Hebrews 13:5
“Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His love continues forever.” Psalm 136:1
IHOWA KEEPS HIS WHAKAARI. “The Lord your God is God. He keeps his promises for all time to come.” Deut. 7:9
IHOWA WILL COMFORT YOU. “The Lord will comfort His people. He will show His love to those who are suffering.” Isaiah 49:13
IHOWA WILL HELP YOU. “Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1
IHOWA WILL KEEP YOU SAFE. “The Lord is good. When people are in trouble, they can go to Him for safety.” Nahum 1:7
Twinkle, twinkle precious star Jesus loves you as you are. He loves your smile, He loves your voice, He thinks you are pretty choice. Twinkle, twinkle precious star Jesus loves you as you are.
TIRAMA, TIRAMA NGA WHETU
Twinkle, twinkle precious star Jesus loves you as you are. He loves your smile, He loves your face, He can save you by His grace. Twinkle, twinkle precious star Jesus loves you as you are.
KITEA TO HUARAHI KI TE WHETU
CAN YOU FIND YOUR WAY TO THE STAR?
PARAOA PARAI Fried Bread Ingredients: 2 C Paraoa (flour) 1 T Tunu Paraoa (baking powder) ½ t Tote (salt) 1½ T Pata Pata (butter, melted) ½ C Wai (water, warm) ½ C Miraka (milk, room temp.) 4 C Hinu (oil, for frying)
Method: 1. Combine paraoa, tunu paraoa and tote in a bowl. Set aside. 2. Combine wai, miraka and pata pata in a big measuring cup. 3. Slowly add liquids to paraoa, and mix just until dough forms a ball. Knead in the bowl, about 10 times, to form a smooth ball that is not sticky. 4. Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let sit for about 30 minutes. 5. Heat hinu in a deep fryer or a very high pot. 6. Divide dough into approximately eight similar sized pieces. Pat on a floured board to form circles about 15 centimetres in diameter. 7. Place dough, a piece at a time, into the hot hinu and cook for 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. 8. Repeat until all dough is used. Use a whetu shaped cookie cutter to make Matariki themed paraoa parai.
MAORI POSTAL AOTEAROA P O Box 10, Whanganui info.maoripostal@gmail.com www.maoripostal.co.nz