Watch: Matariki Kōrero – Waitī
Throughout the weeks leading up to Matariki, 2024, guest speakers give a series of talks about kai Māori practices connected to taonga from our collection.
This kōrero is about Waitī – the whetū associated with fresh water.
Matariki has a strong connection to our taiao and natural world, reminding us to give thanks for our freshwater, saltwater, winds and rains.
Watch Tūmai Cassidy in discussion with Dr. Rangi Matamua about Waitī, the Matariki whetū associated with fresh water, and food sources sustained by those waters, with a focus on tuna and piharau.
Watch the recorded livestream.
Tūmai Cassidy is a Cultural Adviser, Ranger and Ngāi Tahu oral historian. He is an advocate for of the regeneration of native wetlands, and a practitioner of mātauranga taiao.
Tūmai shares the knowledge gained through his experiences as a rangatahi Māori navigating complex environmental challenges, specifically wai, and the guidance of mātauranga ā-iwi and mātauranga o Matariki in addressing the challenges.