Mānawatia a Matariki! Enjoy this whetū-aligned reading list

Mānawatia a Matariki! Team WORD hopes you’re celebrating te tau hou Māori with loved ones, great kai, and have time to decompress and reflect.

We’ve put together a reading list based on each whetū (star) in the Matariki cluster. Jump into timeless favourites, learn a bit more about te ao Māori, and enjoy some illustrated treasures.

Excerpts about each whetū thanks to Te Papa.

Matariki:

"Matariki signifies reflection, hope, the gathering of people, and our connection to the environment."

Matariki: The Star of the Year by Dr Rangi Matamua

Dr Rangi Matamua shares his mātauranga about Matariki that's been passed down to him through the generations

Pōhutukawa

“Pōhutukawa connects us to our loved ones that have passed on.”

Toi Te Mana: An Indigenous History of Māori Art by Deidre Brown and Ngarino Ellis

Remembering the late great Jonathan Mane-Wheoki, as well as all those gone before us.

Tupuānuku

“Tupuānuku determines the bounty of foods that grow in the earth such as kūmara.”

Pātaka Kai: Growing kai sovereignty by Jessica Hutchings

This book encourages us to live in our landscape and to eat seasonally daily.

Tupuārangi

“Tupuārangi is linked to birds and other elevated foods such as fruits and berries from trees.”

Bird Child & Other Stories by Patricia Grace

Renowned Aotearoa author Patricia Grace shares a collection of short stories.

Waitī

“Waitī is associated with all freshwater bodies and the food sources that are sustained by those waters.”

Hine Toa: A Story Of Bravery by Ngāhuia Te Awekōtuku

“The centre of whanau life was ‘the pā’, Ōhinemutu, on the western shore of Lake Rotorua.” - NZ Review of Books

Waitā

“Waitā is associated with the ocean and all life within this domain.”

The Mires by Tina Makereti

A coastal te ao Māori-embued tale, sure to delight.

Ururangi

“Ururangi connects us to the different winds and determines the nature of these winds.”

Te Whaea o te Motu by David Hill, Story Hemi-Morehouse and Stacey Morrison

An illustrated pukapuka for all ages about a leader of the winds of change.

Waipunarangi

“Waipunarangi is associated with the various forms of rain throughout the year.”

Atua: Māori Gods and Heroes by Gavin Bishop

Learn about all the Atua of Matariki and more on a rainy day.

Hiwa-i-te-Rangi

“She is the star to which our aspirations and dreams are connected to.”

A taonga suitable for reseting and reconnecting to ourselves.

Mānawatia a Matariki to you and yours. Happy reading!