Matariki play 2023

SCENE 1

MATARIKI:

Tēnā koutou e te whānau.  I am Matariki.  I am feeling very excited because this evening my brother Puanga and I are taking my star children to the Victory Community Centre Matariki celebrations!  

Oh here is my brother now.  Tēnā koe Puanga.

PUANGA:

Tēnā koe Matariki.  Tēnā koutou e te whānau.  My dear sister Matariki and I just LOVE this time of year.  

Together we let people from all over Aotearoa know when te tau hou, the new year, begins.  It is a special time for communities.

MATARIKI:

Especially the Victory community! My star children have been looking forward to this all year.

TUPU-Ā-NUKU:

Oh yes – I am Tupu-ā-nuku and I can’t wait to see the way the Victory school gardening club has been caring for the community gardens.  I have heard amazing things.

TUPU-Ā-RANGI:

And I am Tupu-ā-rangi and I am hoping the people of Victory have been caring for our native trees and birds.

WAITĪ:

I am Waitī and I want to remind people to be sooooo careful to not let any rubbish and pollution get into our streams and rivers.  I do hope they have been caring for Te Wairepo and the Maitahi awa!!

WAITĀ:

I am Waitā and I will encourage people to care for the moana, our oceans and all the sea creatures.

PUANGA:

I love how you help the people to be good kaitiaki, to care for the environment. 

MATARIKI:

Ka pai my star children.  Now where are the rest of your brothers and sisters?  We should really get going…it does take a few light years to get there…. Kids! Kids!

SCENE 2

HIWA-I-TE-RANGI:

Are we there yet?

TUPU-Ā-NUKU:

We must be close because there is Maungatapu, the sacred mountain.

(Matua Hautere is stacking stones to build a tūāhu.  A karearea is circling)

TUPU-Ā-RANGI:

Could it possibly be?.. that looks like Matua Hautere himself…

TUPU-Ā-NUKU:

Tēnā koe Matua Hautere.  Kei te aha koe?  What are you doing?

MATUA HAUTERE:

I am building a tūāhu here on Maungatapu.  I am making this sacred altar out of this incredible stone called pakohe.

MATARIKI:

Pakohe is the name of one of Victory School’s new whānau groups!  We are on our way to celebrate with them now.

MATUA HAUTERE:

Perfect!  Please can you take this taonga to them.  It is a toki pakohe, an adze made from pakohe stone.

(Tupuānuku and Tupuārangi unveil toki).

TUPU-Ā-RANGI:

Hold it firmly and with strength.

TUPU-Ā-NUKU:

Named Te Tūāhu after the sacred altar of Matua Hautere.  Te Tūāhu. 

(Whānau Pakohe repeat back the name).

(Tupuānuku and Tupuārangi now sit either side of the Toki Pakohe as guardians for the remainder of the play).  Tamaahua’s dart flies in…

SCENE 3

MATARIKI:

Let’s now follow the flow of the Maitahi river towards the sea of Te Aorere.

WAITĪ:

Titiro.  Look at those two.  It looks like their fire has gone out.  I wonder who they are?

POUTINI:

Oh kia ora.  My name is Poutini.  I am a taniwha, and I look after the mauri of Te Ika a Ngahue, the beautiful stone of pounamu. I care for the energy force of greenstone.

WAITĀ:  (speaking to Waitaiki)

And you? You are as beautiful as the finest pounamu. Full of grace and mana.  Please tell me, who is your name?

WAITAIKI:

My name is Waitaiki and…

(Tamaahua throws his tekateka in from off stage as Waitaiki is introducing herself).

POUTINI:

…So sorry.  We have to go. Right now!

(Calling over his shoulder as he leads Waitaiki away…)

Make sure that taonga gets to the children of Victory Primary School!!

WAITAIKI: (from offstage)

Tamaahua!

TAMAAHUA:  (entering stage)

Waitaiki!  Aue, she’s not here.

(notices the star family)

Excuse me, have any of you seen a woman as fine as pounamu pass by here?

WAITĪ:

Yes!  She was just swept off by her taniwha companion.  They left this behind.

TAMAAHUA:

I have been following their trail, and everywhere they light a fire I find valuable stone resources.  But this might just be the most valuable stone of all!  Pounamu, so beautiful, just like my wife Waitaiki.  

(Heads off searching, throwing tekateka, calling her name). 

Waitaiki! 

PUANGA:

Pounamu.  Such an exquisite stone.  And a great name for one of Victory Primary’s whānau groups.

WAITĀ:

This mere pounamu represents the life force of the Maitahi river and the ocean of Aorere.

WAITĪ:

A mere pounamu, with red flecks.

WAITĀ:

Named Te Ika Kuratea to acknowledge Ngahue and the taniwha Poutini… as well as the uniqueness of this treasure.  Te Ika Kuratea.

SCENE 4

MATARIKI:

We must be getting close now.  

PUANGA:

That looks like the mana whenua waiting to welcome us.

TE ĀTIAWA:

Tēnā koe Puanga.  E te whānau o Matariki, tēnā koutou.  Nau mai, hoki mai.

RĀRUA:

We represent the mana whenua of this place we all call home.

(Each rep to call out the name of their iwi and pukana)

Ngāti Kuia

Ngāti Koata

Ngāti Tama

Ngāti Toa Rangatira

Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō

Rangitāne

Te Ātiawa

Ngāti Rārua

KUIA:

Together we are like a cloak that protects our mountains, rivers, wetlands, oceans, lands and people.

KOATA:

Please can you take this taonga to the children of Victory Primary School.

TAMA:

This is a hieke, a raincape woven from wharariki.  

TOA:

Wharariki is a great name for another of Victory Primary’s whānau groups.

APA:

This is a cloak of protection to help all our tamariki feel secure and proud.  

RANGITĀNE:

We hope it helps them brave the storms of life and find a clear pathway ahead.

WAIPUNARANGI:

The name of this hieke is Te Maru Awatea, named for the clearest, brightest moments in our days, where there are no shadows and everything can be seen clearly for what it is.  

URURANGI:

When we can clearly see where we come from we are strong in our identity and feel like we belong.  Then we can clearly see where we want to go and what we want to do with our lives. Te Maru Awatea.

(Whānau Wharariki repeat back the name).

(Waipunarangi and Ururangi now sit either side of the Hieke Wharariki as guardians for the remainder of the play).

SCENE 5

HIWA-I-TE-RANGI:

The tamariki from Victory Primary School are sooooooo lucky!  All these treasures from mountain, land and sea.

MATARIKI:

There is one more taonga for those special Victory Primary School tamariki.  This treasure comes from both land and sea.

HINE KIRIKIRI:

Kia ora. I am Hinekirikiri. I keep the peace between the sea and land.  The very talented Brian Flintoff has carved a Pūtātara in my likeness.  

PŌHUTUKAWA:

E mihi ki a koe Brian.  Thank you so much for your time and your talent.  

HINE KIRIKIRI:

This taonga is gifted to Victory Primary School, to bring life and purpose, and peace and balance.

MATARIKI and PUANGA:

Pūtātara would make a great name for a school whānau group!

PŌHUTUKAWA:

Speaking of names, what is the name of this beautiful pūtātara?

HINE KIRIKIRI:

Rongo Taketake.  This name means the lasting peace.  Rongo Taketake.

(Whānau Pūtātara repeat back the name).

HINE KIRIKIRI:

We offer this taonga in the hope that every one of you who calls Victory home lives a life of purpose, of positivity and of everlasting peace.

(Rongo Taketake is played.)

Whole school waiata.

As each verse is sung, a NMKOTW student comes forward to hold up the corresponding taonga and demonstrate its traditional use, concluding with the pūtātara which is blown at the conclusion of the waiata.