A lovely well written piece. Before I even knew about Matariki and to find out it will be a public holiday , I had never heard my Māori colleagues ever talk about it. My brother in law never mentioned it once, my school friends never mentioned it. Therefore I assumed, it was only celebrated by a few who wanted to hold onto traditions. However fast forward and we now have Chch lit up for the weekend, Tekapo is booming this weekend with all the star gazers, the list goes on. At least there is one saving grace, it’s not a big excuse to get totally tipped up like New Years celebrations!!! You’re right, it is now commercially viable to promote Tamariki just like the religious holidays Christian’s celebrate throughout our liturgical church year. It is unfortunate that we can’t just celebrate an event without selling something to go along with it. DEI is a wrought, another way to make money and it allows grifters to keep on grifting. Happy Matariki everyone, the sun is shining today and tonight, I will look up and hopefully see the stars they are beautiful and fascinating to me, aren’t we lucky we can see the stars and enjoy beautiful clear skies to pause and wonder.
Great post Di, thank you for saying what needs to be said. Going down the road of gender ideology means that today's whānau won't be having any more mokopuna to pass their tikanga down to because they have been sterilised by those championing DEI. https://lucyleader.substack.com/p/removing-the-possibility-of-normal
Thank you for this beautiful piece. I enjoyed the first Matariki public holiday, learning about it, seeing people in my local community out sky watching, contemplative evening walks and on the day preparing a simple hot meal for family. This year I noticed it’s really become a “thing” with the usual suspects blaring on social media, work got involved and there was forced socialising and learning and forced “LeTS aLl sHaRe wHat wE’rE dOIng fOr Matariki!!” This year as the corporates and commentators and HR hit their stride it felt like a loudness cut across my deep need to quietly contemplate, and humbly focus on family and friends, also very much as you say think about the departed and also the future. I wanted humility and simplicity, quiet, and privacy to observe the moment within my family and community. If I as a pākeha feel unsettled with the way it’s all been seized on I hate to think how uncomfortable it is for Māori.
I'm sorry I missed this commemoration on Matariki. It's such a beautiful piece, a tribute to you, your whanau, and all families, and the Māori tradition of respect for nature and whanau, past and present, male and female, old and young, that the western money-mad world and its incessant marketing of crap has long since lost.
Very powerful commentary, Di, on a meaningful celebration for Māori being diluted and disrupted by marketing and corporatisation.
And employers 😖
A lovely well written piece. Before I even knew about Matariki and to find out it will be a public holiday , I had never heard my Māori colleagues ever talk about it. My brother in law never mentioned it once, my school friends never mentioned it. Therefore I assumed, it was only celebrated by a few who wanted to hold onto traditions. However fast forward and we now have Chch lit up for the weekend, Tekapo is booming this weekend with all the star gazers, the list goes on. At least there is one saving grace, it’s not a big excuse to get totally tipped up like New Years celebrations!!! You’re right, it is now commercially viable to promote Tamariki just like the religious holidays Christian’s celebrate throughout our liturgical church year. It is unfortunate that we can’t just celebrate an event without selling something to go along with it. DEI is a wrought, another way to make money and it allows grifters to keep on grifting. Happy Matariki everyone, the sun is shining today and tonight, I will look up and hopefully see the stars they are beautiful and fascinating to me, aren’t we lucky we can see the stars and enjoy beautiful clear skies to pause and wonder.
Great post Di, thank you for saying what needs to be said. Going down the road of gender ideology means that today's whānau won't be having any more mokopuna to pass their tikanga down to because they have been sterilised by those championing DEI. https://lucyleader.substack.com/p/removing-the-possibility-of-normal
Thank you for this beautiful piece. I enjoyed the first Matariki public holiday, learning about it, seeing people in my local community out sky watching, contemplative evening walks and on the day preparing a simple hot meal for family. This year I noticed it’s really become a “thing” with the usual suspects blaring on social media, work got involved and there was forced socialising and learning and forced “LeTS aLl sHaRe wHat wE’rE dOIng fOr Matariki!!” This year as the corporates and commentators and HR hit their stride it felt like a loudness cut across my deep need to quietly contemplate, and humbly focus on family and friends, also very much as you say think about the departed and also the future. I wanted humility and simplicity, quiet, and privacy to observe the moment within my family and community. If I as a pākeha feel unsettled with the way it’s all been seized on I hate to think how uncomfortable it is for Māori.
Oh wow thank you! Such an important message to give more perspective to one of the many who are struggling in this time ! 🙏♥️💕
I'm sorry I missed this commemoration on Matariki. It's such a beautiful piece, a tribute to you, your whanau, and all families, and the Māori tradition of respect for nature and whanau, past and present, male and female, old and young, that the western money-mad world and its incessant marketing of crap has long since lost.