New educational resources focused on Puanga and seasonal rites have been unveiled at Maungārongo Marae, designed to support whānau, marae, and communities in reconnecting with ancient traditions.
Te Poihi Campbell of Te Āti Awa and Ngāti Ruanui attended the unveiling, highlighting the value of these new resources for understanding seasonal practices.
"Pai tonu tō mātau taenga mai i Taranaki ki te Tonga ki konei me tēnei o ngā kaupapa matua rā o ngā ritenga o te tau, me te mōhio anō ki Ngā Ritenga O Te Tau, a ka aro nui atu rā ki a Puanga me o reira kōrero," he said.
He emphasized the utility of the collection for ongoing guidance, noting, "Kua hopukina ngā kōrero kua rau atu ki tētehi kete, mā tēnā e taea ai te whāngai, āta whāngai atu rā ngā rauemi me ētehi o ngā ritenga e taea ai e tātau te kawe ake mō te tau katoa".
Meretini Bennett-Huxtable of Ngā Mata O Hina and Mōkai Pātea Nui Tonu is facilitating discussions around the moon phases and the environment.
Reflecting on the preparation involved, she said, "Exciting, exciting too, there’s been a lot of mahi in the background and on the whenua testing and you know putting in to practice, so today is just, number one, a reminder of that".
Bennett-Huxtable also spoke to the ultimate goal of the teachings: "If anything they walk away from here remembering their relationship with the taiao, their relationship with our whenua and how magical our people are".
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