Brenda Chilvers is Kaikawe Kōrero with our Te Pae Oranga Iwi Community Panels programme. She writes about our July 2026 Matariki celebrations here.
Matariki provided a special opportunity for Te Piki Oranga whānau to come together, pause, reconnect and celebrate.
It brought kaimahi together for a day grounded in tikanga, whakawhanaungatanga and manaakitanga.
We began by sharing morning tea before coming together for karakia and hautapu (a ceremony for where the stars are made a sacred offering), followed by welcoming new kaimahi from across our tari. As the day unfolded there was plenty of time to share kai, kōrero and laughter, alongside opportunities to enjoy the sauna and karaoke.
A koha that will continue to grow
One particularly meaningful part of the day was the koha gifted to our kaimahi: native seedlings from Wild Waikawa.
Kaimahi were able to choose from silver beech, putaputawētā, harakeke, kawakawa, New Zealand broadleaf and New Zealand iris. Each seedling offered something a little different, but collectively they spoke beautifully to the kaupapa of Matariki: nurturing what has been planted, caring for our whenua and looking towards the generations to come.
Wild Waikawa is a community-led conservation kaupapa restoring an important natural landscape beneath Piripiri. Over six years, the project has increased native bird species from 8 to 28, planted 18,000 native trees, removed 19,000 wilding pines and trapped more than 7,100 invasive predators. More than 325 volunteers are now involved each year, with young people making up the majority of those participating.
At the heart of Wild Waikawa is a commitment to reconnecting people with nature and growing future kaitiaki. That made these seedlings particularly fitting as a Matariki koha for our kaimahi. The seedlings were also part of the kōrero and koha planned for the afternoon programme.
A taonga to carry Matariki forward
Another special part of this year's celebration was the Matariki patu, lovingly carved and woven by Darren.
The patu carries a specially woven rope with nine stars at its ends, representing the stars of Matariki. It was created as a taonga for Te Piki Oranga and will be passed to the tari hosting our next Matariki gathering.
As it moves from tari to tari in the years ahead, the hope is that it will carry its mauri with it, connecting each celebration to those that have come before and those still to come. The presentation and kōrero about the patu taonga formed part of the afternoon's Matariki programme.
Ngā mihi nui to our community supporters
Days like this are strengthened by people in our wider community who get behind kaupapa that brings people together.
A heartfelt ngā mihi nui to Eva from MTF Finance, whose generous contribution of $500 supported the sauna experience enjoyed during the afternoon.
We also extend our sincere thanks to Shona Crafar and Crafar and Crouch, who contributed $1,000 towards the day. Their support helped provide our Wild Waikawa seedlings and the engraving of the Matariki plaque that accompanies the patu.
Shona is also a panel member for Wairau Te Pae Oranga, and both Shona and Eva continue to support community kaupapa. Their generosity towards our Matariki celebration is another example of that commitment.
Photo: Eva from MTF Finance (left) and Shona from Crafar and Crouch
Mānawatia a Matariki
Ultimately, the day was about people.
It was about taking time to remember, acknowledge and celebrate; welcoming new faces; sharing mātauranga, waiata and kai; strengthening our relationships; and planting something for the future.
From the hautapu ceremony that opened our gathering to the seedlings our kaimahi took home, the handcrafted patu that will travel between our tari, and the laughter and whakawhanaungatanga shared throughout the day, each part contributed something special.
