Professor Rangi Mātāmua, the man behind making Matariki a public holiday in Aotearoa, has travelled to the home of western timekeeping science to share his knowledge of the significant star cluster.
The astronomer was welcomed on Sunday with a pōwhiri by Ngāti Rānana, where he was asked to speak at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London, a place where some of the biggest names in astronomy have spoken.
"Kei kōnei tātou ki te kōrero Matariki… ki te kauhau ki ngā tohunga o tēnei wāhi me ngā iwi o tēnei rohe, kei te hiahia ki ngā kōrero mō Matariki (We're here to speak about Matariki... to astronomers and locals of the area who are interested in learning about Matariki)."
A key priority of Mātāmua's visit was to share Matariki, not only with local astronomers, but with expats from Aotearoa in need of a reminder of home.
"He whakatakoto i te mahere mō te tau hou e tū mai nei, ahakoa kei hea koe, ahakoa tēhea iwi, aua mātāpono, he mātāpono rangatira ki ōku whakaaro."
He said one of his biggest goals and aspirations is to see mātauranga Māori acknowledged in places like the Royal Observatory.
"Kia mōhio te hunga kei konei, kei roto i te mātauranga Māori ētahi tikanga, ētahi whakaaro tino pūtaiao nei, o tātou tīpuna mōhio rātou ki tēnei mea te pūtaiao, mōhio rātou ki ngā āhuatanga o te taiao, ngā āhuatanga o te ngahere, o te moana, ngā mea katoa."
By Kataraina Anneff, Maika Akroyd
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