(CNN)For the first time, New Zealanders are enjoying an official holiday on June 24th this year to celebrate Maoriki. increase. As a Maori New Year.
Matariki is the name of the Maori star cluster, also known as the Pleiades, whose rise is recognized by many indigenous peoples of the country as the beginning of the New Year. In a statement
, the New Zealand Government stated that this was "the first holiday to recognize Te Ao Maori" or Maori's worldview. The official holiday was established in Apriland the Te Kāhuio Matariki Holidays Act was passed.
Holidays are the time to celebrate our ancestors, get together to express our gratitude, look forward to the New Year and celebrate the present.
New Zealand's Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment has released several videos explaining the timing of Matariki and the National Celebration.
"Matariki helps us reaffirm the identities and bonds we have with each other. What has passed, what is still with us, and what is to come.isRangiānehu'Mātāmua, Chair of the Matariki Advisory Group.
"It is a very important celebration and period that really helps to embed these core values in us."
About 15 of New Zealand's population Maori, who account for%, were disposed of much of their land when Britain was colonized by the country. In recent years, thousands of Maorihave protested civil and social rightsand criticized the government for failing to address social and economic inequalities.
Earlier this year, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern introduced a newcurriculumthat mandates Maori history and British colonialism.
Ardern also appointed the country'sfirst indigenous female foreign minister, Nanaia Mafta, in November 2020.
