This year’s Matariki theme is Matariki Heri Kai – or the Feast of Matariki. Kai being a connector of people helps to bring us together and what we have gathered for our shared feast speaks volumes about the unique places we come from.
With Matariki Heri Kai in mind, Healthy Families Rotorua dived into its ecosystem to identify individuals with the skills and understanding of tikanga who help make the hākari possible.
Lead systems innovator, Pirihira Whata, teamed up again with Toi Tangata’s Ranginui Rikirangi-Thomas, his father Piki Thomas and son Tūtemaruwehi as they gathered crayfish and mussels for this week’s Matariki feast.
Pirihira says the hautapu and its preparations give insight into what our traditional kai system is all about.
“There are specialists at every point in the cycle with specific mātauranga and responsibilities. Our kai gatherers, hunters, and fishermen are a crucial part of our kai system. They possess specialist kai-related knowledge and skills and maintain a close relationship with the taiao.
“The Thomas whānau gather kai from Tangaroa during any marama if they’re equipped for it. However, Piki says one of the first things his father taught him was to stay within their rohe when gathering kai and this tikanga is what he continues to instil in his whānau.
“A highlight for me was seeing the three generations working cohesively together and the mātauranga that has been handed down. Tūtemaruwehi can instinctively identify which fish are in the water because of what birds are circling,” says Piri.
Healthy Families Rotorua manager, Jenny Kaka-Scott, says one of the challenges to maintaining a traditonal kai system nowadays, is how to keep transferring mātauranga through the generations.
She says many of us no longer live papakainga style or in close proximity to one another, which makes knowledge transfer more difficult, less regular and harder to practice the tikanga of ‘gathering kai in your own rohe.’
“Many whānau don’t have that champion who has the kai gathering skills and deep connection with the taiao, so they’re unable to plug in and connect with the mātauranga through authentic experiences.
“Piki’s kōrero is important from a mana whenua point of view. If you’re gathering kai for a kaupapa, go to where you’re from. Returning to the same place repeatedly allows you to build an intimate knowledge of every rock and plant that grows there and every animal that lives there. It connects you deeply to that environment,” says Jenny.
Our hunter-gatherers understand things like how to safely and correctly extract important resources while ensuring the taiao is cared for. They understand Maramataka and the taiao lifecycle or knowing where to go to get what they need at the right time of the year.
“This knowledge is crucial to preserve. Part of our role at Healthy Families is to remove barriers that prevent people from activating a tradtional kai system and having access to traditonal kai.
“From a systems point of view, we’re exploring the fundamental elements, the interconnections and the purpose of a traditional Māori kai system. What we have learnt is that a traditional Māori kai system provides insight into the nature of Māori culture, and what Māori people value as important, not only to their physical survival but to their overall health and wellbeing,” says Jenny.
