Matariki

 Matariki

After weeks of preparing decorations, moving through the freezing cold, on Friday the sun broke through the winter layers for our Matariki event. The 24th of July, Jtereo and many others hosted a Matariki event at the Westland High School sports hub to celebrate the Māori New Year with the community. Earlier, we had set up everything and hung decorations around the whole sports hub. We were all happy and excited for the night, happiness rushed through our bodies and

lifted a lot of stress off our shoulders that the day was almost over and the night of our festival had almost begun.

By 5:00pm people started arriving, observing the stalls and watching the entertainment of kapa haka, bands playing and people singing. There was so much delicious food to tempt everyone. Many had dressed up for our “ Best Dressed Star” competition. People were approaching our stalls to order so my sister Whakataeragi took the orders while I prepared the food, the hotdogs, chips and sausages. 

The first kapa haka group performed. JP2 had a really good performance that all the audience loved. The next group was up and that was us. We started singing and people started recording. The crowd looked very happy and were enjoying it. Later through the night, the teina from Hokitika Primary performed their kapa haka bracket as well. 

The night was coming to an end and everyone started packing up their stalls. We closed the festival with a karakia and people started heading home. Lots of people helped clean up the sports hub, to make it ready for netball the next day. 

Our Matariki event brought us together over food and activities. It provided us with the opportunity to remember, reflect, reconnect and plan. Overall the night was a huge success. I would love to give a huge thank you to West Reap, Te Puni Kōkiri, Hokitika Lions Club, Runanga Tauira (WHS student council) WHS staff, our caregiver Vince, Friends of WHS, stall holders, kapa haka roopu, kaiwaiata, our whānau and friends, finally our community 

Nā Ani Mason