Te puna o te ao mārama | The spring of the land of light is a colourful installation by artist Teare Turetahi which adorns Fort Street and Jean Batten Place in the city centre by way of vibrant acrylic discs. Each disc represents a different star in the Matariki cluster, as well as other notable stars that are visible in the winter skies. Each star within Matariki brings a bounty, or something that is important to Māori that helps to guide the making of lifestyle choices. Check out their significant meanings below.
Matariki
The central star in the cluster. It is the healing star and is associated with hauora (wellbeing).
Pōhutukawa
She's the oldest child in the cluster and she is connected to our dead, carrying our dead across the sky night after night, month after month.
Waiti/wahine
The star associated with freshwater, the informs how the rivers and streams will be affected in the coming year. She provides insight into whether there will be plenty of tuna, freshwater crayfish and other fish to harvest throughout the year.
Waita/tane
The star associated with salt water which informs us on all creatures and kai moana in the oceans.
Tipuanuku/wahine
Tipu means to grow and nuku means ground. This star is associated with everything that grows in the ground.
Waipunarangi/wahine
The star is associated with water that pools in the sky and connects us to the rains.
Ururangi/tane
The star connected to wind and wind patterns.
Tipuarangi/tane
Tipu means to grow, rangi means the sky. This star has a strong connection to the birds that were traditionally harvested and eaten, along with everything that growns above us.
Hiwaterangi/wahine
The wishing star. Send your wish to Hiwa i te rangi when the cluster rises again in the winter skies in the hope that your wish and dreams will come true.
Rehua/ tāne
The brightest star in the sky, also known as Antares and is believed to be the husband of Matariki.
Atutahi
This major, tapu star sits outside Te Mangōroa, the Milky Way and said to be its guardian.
Puanga/wahine
Known as Rigel, this star is celebrated by some tribes from the West Coast as the star the heralds the new year. It rises above Matariki in the winter skies and is visible all year.
Hinerauanma/wahine
A sophisticated and petite star pinned onto the chest of Ranginui.
About the artist:
Teare Turetahi is a multi-disciplinary artist who centres mātauraga Māori and tikanga to inform and shape his artistic practise. Turetahi is known for his skill in refurbishing native timbers like kauri and rimu into taonga whakarākei (wearable jewellery). Through the process of making, Turetahi helps both Tangata Whenua(Māori) and Tau Iwi (non-Māori) connect and reconsider our relationship as Kaitiaki (caretakers) to Te Tai Ao (the natural environment).
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