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Matariki Introduction Worksheet

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Matariki Introduction Worksheet

Read the short bilingual kōrero, then complete the language and comprehension activities. Use the macrons shown in the vocabulary. Some answers invite more than one thoughtful response; model answers are provided.

Pānui — Read

He kōrero mō Matariki Keira: Kia ora, e Hemi. Kei te whakarite tō whānau mō Matariki? Hemi: Āe. Ka hui mātou ā te pō o te Paraire. Ka maumahara mātou ki ō mātou tūpuna, ka mihi hoki ki ngā hua o te tau kua pahure. Keira: Ka pai. He aha ngā kai mā koutou? Hemi: He hupa paukena me te parāoa. Ka waiata hoki mātou, ā, ka kōrero mō ngā wawata mō te tau hou. Keira: He pai rawa atu! Kia pai tō hui! Hemi: Tēnā koe. Haere mai ki te kai, ki te hiahia koe. English sense: Keira asks whether Hemi’s family is preparing for Matariki. They plan to gather on Friday evening, remember their ancestors, acknowledge the year’s harvest, share pumpkin soup and bread, sing, and talk about hopes for the new year. Hemi invites Keira to join them. This is an invented example of one possible gathering, not a description of every iwi’s tikanga. Matariki and Puanga are observed in different ways in different communities.

Kupu matua — Key vocabulary

Kia ora — hello / thanks; whānau — family, extended family; hui — gathering; maumahara — remember; tūpuna — ancestors; hua — fruit, produce, results; wawata — hopes, aspirations; Haere mai — welcome / come here.

1.Match each te reo Māori word from the kōrero with its English meaning.

hui
tūpuna
wawata
maumahara

remember
ancestors
gathering
hopes or aspirations

2.In the first line, what does “Kei te whakarite tō whānau mō Matariki?” mean?

Is your family preparing for Matariki?
Did your family travel to Matariki?
Will your family remember the harvest?

3.Find the phrase in the kōrero that means “we will gather”. Copy it exactly.

4.True or false: Hemi says his family will gather on Friday evening.

TrueFalse

5.Complete the sentence using a word from the vocabulary: “Ka mātou ki ō mātou tūpuna” means “We will remember our ancestors.”

6.Name the two foods Hemi says his family will share.

7.In context, what is the purpose of “Haere mai ki te kai, ki te hiahia koe”?

Hemi invites Keira to come and eat if she would like to.
Hemi asks Keira to prepare the food.
Hemi says the gathering has been cancelled.

8.Translate into English: “He pai rawa atu!” Use Keira’s line as a model.

9.Explain one way the family in the kōrero acknowledges the past and one way they look towards the future.

10.Write a short reply in te reo Māori to Hemi’s invitation. Accept the invitation and include a greeting or thanks. Use at least two phrases from the worksheet.

11.The kōrero says Matariki and Puanga are observed in different ways by different communities. Why is it important not to assume that every iwi follows exactly the same practice?