Celebrating Matariki - A Te Reo Story Table

"Ko wai to ingoa?"  

"What is your name?"

"Ko Rochelle toku ingoa"

"My name is Rochelle"

My beautiful and linguistic sister - Bella, is a teacher of Te Reo Maori and Kapa Haka at a Rudolph Steiner School.  She is full of courage and passion.  Passion for learning te reo - while our family are of Maori descent we did not speak Maori, yet she is driven to learn and share the reo.  Courage to take her passion for learning into a role where she is not a fluent speaker but a wonderful connector and learner herself.  Courage to step into a different school environment one which at times is in contrast to what she has trained for.

Steiner share stories to learn with and from.  So Bella wrote the story of Matai the Moa, an orphan in search of friendship.  The story is sprinkled with te reo with a focus on asking another's name and giving your name in response.

I loved her story so much that I set about illustrating it with Steiner style crafts, with knitting and felt.

Matai lives alone in a tomo (cave).

He ventures outside (ki waho) into the forest one morning.  Matai comes across a small bird, with a long beak snuffling among the leaves under a ponga tree.
"Ko wai to ingoa" asks Matai,
"Ko Kiwi toku ingoa" replies the bird before retreating into his burrow to sleep.

Matai Moa reaches a glade filled with beautiful music.  He peers into a Kowhai tree to see a bird singing happily.

"Ko wai to ingoa?"
The bird replies "Ko Tui toku ingoa",
"Kia Ora Tui, ko Matai Moa toku ingoa, could you teach me to sing as beautifully as you do?"
Tui says she will, but not until she has finished her morning song.

Matai Moa makes his way onward meeting many more native birds.... and the story continues to a very fulfilling conclusion.  The above is an abridged version of her writing, but hopefully will give you some idea of it.

Story telling without expectation is a powerful learning tool and story tables allow our little ones to revisit and retell the story they have heard when they choose.

I love this story too as it relates to the elements of Matariki including the whenua (land), Papatuanuku's gifts, connections with others and knowing who we are and how we relate to others. Ka pai mahi!

While K and I have enjoyed the story at home, she likes to recreate her own version with the props and characters we will also share it at Playcentre as a point from which our session children and parents can learn some reo.  I am very nervous about leading this!

However, if Bella can be so courageous I am sure I can be too!

Celebrating Matariki - Colourful Lanterns

Matariki is almost here!  Winter is officially too.  This mornings walk on the beach in the fine, crisp weather was refreshing and rejuvenating, evoking much reflection and gratitude for where we live, how we live and what we love.  And so is the meaning of Matariki - what an awesome time of year!

"During Matariki, we celebrate our unique place in the world. We give respect to the whenua (land) on which we live, and admiration to our mother earth, Papatūānuku.

Throughout Matariki, we learn about those who came before us. Our history, our family, our bones.

Matariki signals growth. It's a time of change. It's a time to prepare, and a time of action. During Matariki, we acknowledge what we have and what we have to give.

Matariki celebrates the diversity of life. It's a celebration of culture, language, spirit and people.

Matariki is our Aotearoa Pacific New Year."  (an explanation from The Maori Language Commission)

It really excites me that we in Aotearoa have an opportunity to reflect at this time of year on our past and future.  Almost six months from our summer New Year celebrations we get a chance to ignite or reignite our aspirations.

Matariki describes the dawning of the cluster of stars also known as Pleiades - the seven sisters.  From the Maori perspective they are a whanau of seven - Mother and six daughters.

This Mummy and her one daughter have been making lanterns as one way of celebrating Matariki.

The lanterns are glass jars, covered in torn tissue paper of various colours and lit by a tea light candle.  Beautiful and simple.  A great result can be achieved by someone as little as K or as old as her Mumma!!

Our lanterns light our dinner table and perch upon our night blue voile.  I have just started making my own voile, inspired again by the Steiner.  K just loves her colourful voile - to dance with, to dress up in, as blankets for her babies, to make huts.......and more!

This weekend will mark the beginning of Matariki celebrations with a new moon.  Why not make some lanterns to light your way while you star gaze or make a star shaped kite to fly or take a walk in our beautiful country and reflect on where we have come from and what our future might hold - our iti whanau will be x