“Ko te kaupapa o ngā whakanui i a Matariki ā tērā tau, ko Matariki herenga waka, he pepeha whakatinana i te kotahitanga, i te tauawhitanga, me te ngātahi o te whakaaro ki ngā taonga tuku iho” te kī a te Tumu Whakarae o te Manatū Taonga, a Leauanae Laulu Mac Leauanae.

“The theme for next year’s Matariki celebration is Matariki Herenga Waka – For Everyone, a powerful expression of unity, inclusion, and shared heritage” says Chief Executive for Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage, Leauanae Laulu Mac Leauanae.

“E koa ana hoki au ki te pānui, mā Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei e manaaki te pāhotanga ā-motu i te hautapu hei te 10 o Hūrae 2026” te kōrero tonu a Leauanae.

“I’m also excited to announce Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei will host the nationally broadcast Matariki hautapu on 10 July 2026” Leauanae continues.

“He ngangahau, he kanorau hoki te tāone o Tāmaki Makaurau, e kīia nei ko ‘Tāmaki herenga waka’. Ko Matariki herenga waka e tohu ana i a Tāmaki hei taunga, hei wāhi hui, hei kāinga hoki. Ko tāna, he whakaata i te whakaaro ki tā Matariki tūhono i a tātou katoa ahakoa ō tātou ao o mua, ō tātou ahurea, ō tātou pūtakenga mai rānei.

“Auckland is a vibrant and diverse city often referred to as the ‘city of sails’. Matariki herenga waka symbolises that Tāmaki is a place of arrival, gathering, and belonging. It reflects the idea that Matariki connects us all, regardless of background, culture, or origin.”

E kī ana te Kaihautū o Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Trust, a Marama Royal, kua hiamo rātou ki te manaaki i tēnei kaupapa i runga i ō rātou whenua, i Takaparawhau.

Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Trust Chair Marama Royal says they are excited to host this kaupapa on their whenua at Takaparawhau.  

“Mai rā anō tā Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei pōhiri atu i tō tātou tāone ki Takaparawhau, ki konei a Matariki maharatia ai, ā, e pupuke ana ō mātou ngākau ki te hāpai tonu i taua kaupapa. Nā te mea ko mātou ngā tāngata whenua o te puku o Tāmaki, he wāhanga nui tēnei i roto i ā mātou kawenga. Nō mātou te waimaria i te toronga atu anō o ō mātou ringa manaaki, ā, nā te kōtuinga ki a Manatū Taonga, kua wātea tēnei hui mana nui ki ngā whānau puta noa i te motu” te kī hoki a Royal.

“Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei has a long tradition of welcoming our city to Takaparawhau to acknowledge Matariki, and we are proud to continue that kaupapa. As tangata whenua of central Tāmaki, this is an important part of our role. It is our privilege to extend our manaaki once again, and, through our partnership with Manatū Taonga, to share this significant ceremony with whānau right across the motu” Royal continues.  

“Mā roto i tana whakanui i te whakataukī o Tāmaki herenga waka, e whakanui ana hoki a Matariki herenga waka i ngā hononga kaha i waenga i te rohe o Tāmaki ki te kāhui whetū o Matariki, ki te tini tāngata hoki kua whakatū kāinga ki Aotearoa.”

“Honouring the whakataukī Tāmaki herenga waka, meaning ‘Tāmaki, the gathering place of many canoes’, Matariki herenga waka honours the deep connection between the Tāmaki region, the Matariki star cluster, and the many people who call New Zealand home.”  

Te Whakanui i te Tauawhitanga me te Ngātahi o te Whakaaro ki ngā Mātauranga Tuku Iho | A Celebration of Inclusion and Shared Knowledge

E ai ki te Kaitohutohu Matua mō te Mātauranga Matariki, ki a Rangi Mātāmua, “ko tā te kaupapa o te tau e tū mai nei, he akiaki i te katoa kia piri tahi ki te whakanui i a Matariki, ki te hāpai hoki i ngā uara o te huritao, o te whakanui, o te whakarite hoki. Ka pūmau tonu ēnei uara i ia tau ahakoa te whanake haeretanga o te kaupapa.”

Chief Advisor Mātauranga Matariki, Professor Rangi Mātāmua says “next year’s theme encourages everyone to come together to celebrate Matariki, embracing the values of reflection, celebration, and preparation. These values remain constant each year, even as the theme evolves.”

“Ko Matariki tētahi wā e rere ai ngā kōrero, e kawea ai hoki ngā tikanga tuku iho, e tūhonotia ai hoki ngā mātauranga; kaua ko ō Aotearoa noa iho nei, engari ko ō te whānuitanga ake hoki o Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa. Ko te whakanui i a Matari’i hei hararei ā-motu i Tahiti Nui o nakuanei tētahi taunakitanga i tōna mana ki ētahi atu o waho atu i konei.”

“Matariki is a time to share stories, traditions, and mātauranga (knowledge), not just within Aotearoa but across the Pacific. The first celebration of Matari’i as a national holiday in French Polynesia Tahiti Nui recently is a testament to its wider significance.”

“Ehara nō te tangata kotahi, nō te wāhi kotahi anake rānei te mātauranga – engari he mea tuku iho nā tētahi whakatipuranga ki tētahi kē, i Tāmaki, ā, puta noa i te motu me Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa. E akiakihia ana te katoa kia ako, kia noho ngātahi, kia whai wāhi hoki ki te whakanui i te tau hou Māori.”

“Mātauranga is not held by one person or place – it is shared across generations and communities, in Tāmaki, across the motu and Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa. Everyone is encouraged to learn, share, and participate in the celebration of the Māori New Year.”

Hei tā Rangi Mātāmua “i a tātou e whakarite ana i tā tātou whakanui i te kaupapa ā-motu o te tau 2026 ki Tāmaki Makarau, ka whakamaumahara mai a Matariki herenga waka i a tātou ki tēnei wā e hui ai, e huritao ai hoki ngā tāngata katoa, e kotahi anō ai hoki te kōkiri whakamua.”

Professor Rangi Mātāmua says “as we prepare for the 2026 national celebration in Auckland, Matariki herenga waka reminds us that this is a time for all people to gather, reflect, and look forward together.”

Hero image credit: Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei