16 June 2010

Kapa haka

This week is Matariki ( the beginning of the Maori new year): Room 8 has found some great information for their homework!

What does Matariki mean? Matariki is a cluster of stars which is only visible in the early morning for a short period of time. Matariki has two meanings, both referring to a tiny constellation of stars; Mata Riki (Tiny Eyes) and Mata Ariki (Eyes of God).

Why is Matariki important? This group of stars is important to Maori as it helped them to know when to plant their crops. It was also seen as an important time for family to gather and reflect on the past and the future.

Why do we celebrate Matariki today?
Today Matariki means celebrating the special place we live in and giving respect to the land we live on.

Year groups around the school have all been celebrating in different ways. Today we had Kapa Haka and we celebrated Matariki by learning Whai - String games!

3 comments:

Mila said...

Wow room 8!I loved playing string game's.I always play with my string.Mila

Anonymous said...

You know heaps about Matariki. Did you know... Matariki (the Seven Sisters) helped Maori navigate (find their way) hundreds of years ago. From room 10.

Anonymous said...

Dear Room 8
I really liked your photos they were lovely.
from James Room 5