A pohutukawa planted in the Tapanui Cemetery to commemorate the deceased also has a special bond with Matariki.
Members of the West Otago community gathered outside the cemetery for tree planting on Friday, June 24, led by Kapa Haka Hapuri, the local kapa haka group.
Whaea Jaki Eales said the tree represented Pohutukawa, one of the nine stars of the Matariki star cluster, signifying a memory.
“We chose the entrance of the Tapanui urupa [cemetery] so people can sit here and think about their loved ones and look forward to the future.”
A red bench had also been built where people could one day sit under the pohutukawa after it got bigger, she said.
It was the first of nine trees to be planted in the Poumahaka Kahui Ako (Community of Learning) area, each representing a different star in the Matariki star cluster.
“Over the next eight years…each school covered by the Poumahaka Kahui Ako will plant a native New Zealand plant,” said Ms Eales.
Poumahaka Kahui Ako Chief Executive Bronwyn McCall said it was a great initiative to help students learn more about Maori culture.
“It is our heritage as a nation. Matariki is about reflecting on the past and looking to the future.”
Planting native trees was a great representation of that, rejuvenating what had been lost, Ms. McCall said.
Ms Eales said eight more council sites would be found for the other factories. Those sites would have a plaque with the star’s name, the date the plant was planted, and a word to help people understand its meaning.
Commemorate was the word chosen for the pohutukawa tree.
Although the project was initiated by her, it was a community effort and the tree planting reflected that, Ms Eales said.
“The Matariki cluster brings people together.”
Community members were invited to help dig the hole where the tree had been planted. This included some key people who had helped the project along the way.
“My first port of call was to go to the Tapanui service center and have a korero there with Melissa Ellison. She said to get in touch [West Otago Community Board member] Barbara Hanna,” said Mrs. Eales.
“Both women were my first contact to see how I can make this dream come true.”
From there, the project came together thanks to the generosity of the community, she said.
“Everything is donated here.”
She felt “pretty lucky” to have so much support.
Her dream had been to commemorate Matariki, which was recognized as a public holiday for the first time this year on June 24.
It would help improve people’s understanding of the Maori New Year, she said.
“I’m just really excited because I know people will be more aware of it in the future, so it’s just fantastic.”
As part of tree planting, Kapa Haka Hapuri sang waiata and buried food with the pohutukawa as it was planted.
“Tupuarangi, Tupuanuku, Waiti and Waita are all stars related to our food sources so we just wanted to put a little bit of our food source under the plant to feed it so it grows healthy here,” said Ms Eales.
Members of Kapa Haka Hapuri and the community spoke during the planting.
Among them was Lindy Cavanagh-Monaghan, principal of Blue Mountain College, who said it was also a time to remember deceased students.
– By Michael Curren