Ngā kai a Matariki, nāna i ao ake ki runga.
The foods of Matariki, gathered up by her.

My name is Tupuānuku. I am the star connected to foods grown in the ground, both cultivated and wild. When you see me bright and clear, I hold the promise of a warm and successful growing season.

Te Wā o te Hauhake / The Time of Harvesting

Traditionally, celebrations of Puanga and Matariki follow the harvesting of crops when the pātaka (storehouses) became full.

Tohunga (tribal experts), looked to Puanga and the Matariki star cluster to determine how abundant the next year’s harvest would be.

Ngāi Tahu food growing and gathering habitats were shaped by maramataka (the lunar calendar). Specific maramataka were developed for where harvesters lived and where their primary resources were located within their wakawaka, a traditional method for dividing harvesting areas.

Mahinga Kai

Mahinga kai refers to natural resources from the environment. This can include the tools used, the likes of pounamu (greenstone), rongoā (medicine), dyes, as well as the flora and fauna harvested from the land and waterways for food. It also describes a method of managing these resources. Rights to gather particular resources from specific places, wakawaka, were handed down through generations.