The West Coast of Aotearoa New Zealand is full of history and tales.
In the middle of the Southern Winter, as the world turns and seasons change, a star cluster rises in the sky. This is known in New Zealand as Matariki, a shortened version of “Ngā Mata o te Ariki Tāwhirimātea” (the eyes of the ariki Tāwhirimātea), also called The Pleiades and Messier 45. These stars indicate the middle of the cold season and herald the start of the preparations for Spring, and, since 2022, an official holiday marks the occasion. Matariki is a time for remembering those who have passed on and become part of the symphony of stars in the heavens, to share the harvest with friends and family, and a time of thanksgiving.
Here, on the Coast we love a good story. The history of the area is told in tales of derring-do, feuds and swagger. Māori stories have given their names to Te Tai Poutini/ the West Coast. “Poutini” is the name of the taniwha that swims along the coast and protects the essence of its treasured greenstone, pounamu, and the people who live in the region. The tale of how Poutini came to be protector is actually an oral map of the important pounamu sites on the Coast, places where pounamu and greenstone could be found for crafting into weapons, tools, gifts and ornaments. Storytelling is indeed in the blood of the Coast.
In June, on the 26th, another in the series of “Conversation and Cloth” events will be held, this time in Hokitika at the Westland Library. Hokitika is close to the Arahura, the river where the finest pounamu is found, and is one of the oldest settlements on the West Coat. In honour of the storytelling that is so much a tradition of the region, and to recognise Matariki, the theme of the event is “Stars” and we will be exploring the textile collection through tales and recollection, looking at how stars in their myriad forms have influenced design, shape and form, and even the way that the collection has grown.
Read more:
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/OW19101102.2.54
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