This special free presentation at the See.Do.Auckland. pop-up in the Britomart train station shares material from the collections of Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision that reference the children of Matariki, in celebration of the Māori New Year.

Within Aotearoa, Matariki is commonly identified as a female and the mother of the other stars within her group. Matariki is most often said to have six children, however mātauranga from some iwi show others believe Matariki is a mother of eight – and in some cases more. This programme has a special focus on the children Tupuānuku, Tupuārangi, Waitī and Waitā, and the different kai associated with each. This programme demonstrates the importance of growing and gathering food throughout the year, and preparing it for storage during the cold winter months.

Tupuārangi (Atlas)
This star is associated with kai that comes from the sky. Featuring footage of kererū and muttonbirding:
Legend of Birds (1962). Courtesy of Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga Archives New Zealand. Ref F5730
Muttonbirding (1921). Tītī islands. Courtesy of Kāi Tahu. Ref F5437

Tupuānuku (Pleione)
This star is associated with kai that grows in the ground. Featuring footage of cultivating the land for kūmara, cooking food in an umu and eating hāngī in the Whanganui region:
He Pito Whakaatu i te Noho a te Māori i te Awa o Whanganui: Scenes of Māori Life on the Whanganui River (1921). Courtesy of Ngā Rauru and Ngā Mutunga. Ref F2816
Whanganui Māori (1920s). Courtesy of Te Kāhui Maunga. Ref F887

Waitī (Maia)
This star is associated with kai from freshwater like rivers, streams and lakes. Featuring footage of whitebaiting and eeling in the South Island:
Netting Whitebait Mouth of Opihi, Timaru by the Sea (1920s). Courtesy of Ngāi Tahu. Ref F3564
Weekly Review 331 (1947), West Coast and Southland. Courtesy of Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga Archives New Zealand and Ngāi Tahu. Ref F48206
Eel History was a Mystery (1968). Courtesy of the Hayward Collection. Ref F11634

Waitā (Taygeta)
This star is associated with kai that comes from the ocean. Featuring footage of marine life around Poor Knights Island Marine Reserve and eating kina:
Stock footage around Poor Knights Island (1994). Tawhiti Rahi. Courtesy of TVNZ. Ref TZF253
Whanganui Māori (1920s). Courtesy of Te Kāhui Maunga. Ref F887

Ka tohaina e tēnei whakaaturanga whakahirahira ētahi o ngā kohinga a Ngā Taonga e pā ana ki ngā tamariki a Matariki, hei whakanui i te tau hou Māori. Kei te kīia whānui i Aotearoa he wahine a Matariki, ko ia te whaea o ētahi atu o taua huinga whetū. E kīia ana hoki e te nuinga tokoono ngā tamariki a Matariki, heoi anō kei ētahi atu iwi e whakapono ana, tokowaru nui atu rānei ana tamariki.
Ka āta tirohia ngā tamariki o taua whānau, arā ko ngā whetū, ko Tupuānuku, ko Tupuārangi, ko Waitī rātou ko Waitā, me ngā kai e hāngai ana ki tērā, ki tērā. Ka whakaatu i te whakahirahira o te tupu kai, te hauhake kai, me te whakarite kai mō ngā marama mātao o Takurua.

Tupuārangi
Kei te hāngai tēnei whetū ki ngā kai i ahu mai i te rangi. E whakaatu ana i ngā kiriata kererū, i ngā kiriata nanao tītī hoki.
Legend of Birds (1962). Courtesy of Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga Archives New Zealand. Ref F5730
Muttonbirding (1921). Tītī islands. Courtesy of Kāi Tahu. Ref F5437

Tupuānuku
Kei te hāngai tēnei whetū ki ngā kai e tipu mai i te whenua. E whakaatu ana i ngā kiriata keri whenua, te whakatō kūmara, te tunu mā te umu, me te kai hāngī ki te rohe o Whanganui.
He Pito Whakaatu i te Noho a te Māori i te Awa o Whanganui: Scenes of Māori Life on the Whanganui River (1921). Courtesy of Ngā Rauru and Ngā Mutunga. Ref F2816
Whanganui Māori (1920s). Courtesy of Te Kāhui Maunga. Ref F887

Waitī
Kei te hāngai tēnei whetū ki te wai māori me ngā koiora katoa o ngā awa, o ngā manga, me ngā roto. E whakaatu ana i ngā kiriata hao īnanga me te tuna ki Te Waipounamu.
Netting Whitebait Mouth of Opihi, Timaru by the Sea (1920s). Courtesy of Ngāi Tahu. Ref F3564
Weekly Review 331 (1947), West Coast and Southland. Courtesy of Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga Archives New Zealand and Ngāi Tahu. Ref F48206
Eel History was a Mystery (1968). Courtesy of the Hayward Collection. Ref F11634

Waitā
Kei te hāngai tēnei whetū ki ngā kai o te moana. E whakaatutia ana i ngā kiriata i te ao o Tangaroa, o te āpure moana ki Tawhiti Rahi me te kai kina.
Stock footage around Poor Knights Island (1994). Tawhiti Rahi. Courtesy of TVNZ. Ref TZF253
Whanganui Māori (1920s). Courtesy of Te Kāhui Maunga. Ref F887