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Matariki Harvest Traditions

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Matariki Harvest Traditions

Read the short account and complete the activities. Use the kupu Māori in the word bank to help you. Word bank: kai, whānau, kūmara, harakeke, Matariki, tī kōuka, karaka, weaving, harvest, winter.

Preparing for winter

As Matariki rises in the midwinter sky, whānau gather to remember those who have passed, celebrate the present and plan for the future. Traditionally, people observed the seasons and gathered or harvested kai when it was ready. Kūmara was an important cultivated food. Tī kōuka (cabbage tree) roots and shoots could be used as food, and harakeke leaves provided fibre for weaving rather than food. In some areas, karaka berries were gathered and carefully prepared before eating because they are poisonous when raw. Practices differed between iwi and rohe, and harvests depended on local conditions. Sharing kai, caring for resources and preparing for colder months are ways people connect Matariki with the land and community.

1.According to the account, name one reason people planned harvests around the seasons.

2.Which plant is described as providing fibre for weaving rather than food?

Kūmara
Harakeke
Karaka
Tī kōuka

3.Match each plant to its use or description.

Kūmara
Harakeke
Tī kōuka
Karaka

Roots and shoots could be eaten
Important cultivated food
Fibre for weaving
Berries need careful preparation

4.Karaka berries are safe to eat raw.

TrueFalse

5.Which statement best explains how harvest traditions connect with Matariki?

People everywhere harvested the same plants in the same way.
Seasonal gathering, sharing kai and caring for resources can connect people with the land and community.
Harakeke was mainly grown as a winter food.
All harvesting stopped during Matariki.

6.In the account, what does the word kai mean?

7.Why is it important to learn about safe preparation and local practices before gathering traditional kai?

8.Write two sentences using at least two words from this bank: kai (food), whānau (family), kūmara, harakeke, Matariki. You could describe a food or a way people care for one another. Example sentence starters: He kai te ____. Ka hui te ____.

9.Imagine your whānau is planning a seasonal kai gathering. Name one plant from the account, one safety or care step, and one way you could share the harvest.