Ka pīataata anō ngā hia rau matatopa ki runga i Te Kōuramāwhitiwhiti, i te taha moana o Rotorua hei tēnei pō o te Rāpare me te Rāmere hei whakamānawa i te kaupapa o Matariki mā Puanga.
I tērā tau, kō atu i te toru tekau mano tāngata i tae ā-tinana atu ki te mātakitaki i te whakaaturanga matatopa mō Matariki, he mea whakahaere nā te Aronui Indigenous Arts Festival me Ngāti Whakaue.
“E hīkaka ana mātou kia kawe mai anō tēnei kaupapa o Matariki Matatopa ki konei, ki konei hei whakamīharotanga mō te hapori nei o Rotorua, ka mutu, mō te hunga ka taetae mai i tawhiti, i tata ki Rotorua ki te mātakitaki i tēnei kaupapa ātaahua,” te kī a Rangitiaria Tibble o Ngāti Whakaue, Te Arawa me Aronui Arts Festival anō hoki.
“I tērā tau, he neke atu i te toru tekau mano tāngata i taupua mai ki Rotorua, ki te mātakitaki i ngā pō e rua, i kitea ai te whakaari ki ngā rangi,” e ai anō ki a Tibble.
“Anā, ko tēnei te pōhiri ki a koutou e te tī, e te tā, kia tau mai ki Rotorua ā te tekau mā iwa, te Taite, te Paraire, rua tekau o Hune rānei, kia kite mai i tēnei kaupapa ātaahua rawa.”
Ka tū te whakaaturanga tuatahi i tērā Matariki, me te mea nei, e ai ki te Tumu Whakarae o Aronui, ki a Cian Elyse White, i te nui o ngā kōrero whakamihi mai i te hapori, kua hoki rawa mai anō te whakaaturanga i tēnei tau.
Hei tā White anō, he tokomaha rawa ngā manuhiri ka tae mai i ngā tōpito katoa o te motu, ka mutu, he wairua hihiko ka horapa ki te whānuitanga o te taone.
He tūāhuatanga tērā ka tōaitia i te matariki i tō i tērā tau.
Nā Macie Kuki o Aukaha News.
