The high schoolers hoping to teach you about Matariki
Inspired by Matariki a group of Taranaki students spied a business opportunity to upskill Kiwis on Māori mātauranga, or knowledge. The Young Enterprise business team Te Pārongo, or “The Information”, is made up of four students from New Plymouth’s Francis Douglas Memorial College.
Their first product is inspired by the rising of the Matariki star cluster that marks the Māori New Year, an event for which there will now be an annual public holiday.
Their strikingly illustrated flashcards feature each star in the cluster; Matariki, Waitī, Waitā, Waipuna-ā-rangi, Tupuānuku, Tupuārangi, Ururangi, Pōhutukawa and Hiwa-i-te-rangi.
“Our entire goal was to bring Māori information to the wider community and to New Zealand,” said Daniel Blackman, the group’s chief executive.
As Ngāi Tahu, Daniel said Matariki was something celebrated within his whānau and a topic he knew about.
However, he did not think that was a common experience across New Zealand, and Te Pārongo Matariki cards were a user-friendly way to share Māori mātauranga, or knowledge.
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