Maramataka

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Learning Intentions

By the end of this topic, you should be able to:

State what the Maramataka is and how it differs from other calendars.
Describe how the Maramataka is structured using phases of Marama (the Moon).
Explain how the Maramataka was used to guide daily and seasonal life in Māori society.
Recognise the importance of environmental observation in traditional Māori science.

Glossary

Key terms and definitions.

iwi: A Māori tribe or large kinship group.

lunar calendar: A calendar that tracks time based on the Moon’s cycles.

luni-stella calendar: A calendar system based on both the Moon and stars.

Marama: The Māori word for 'Moon'.

Maramataka: The traditional Māori lunar calendar, based on the phases of Marama (the Moon).

Matariki: The Māori name for a group of stars also known as the Pleiades, which signals the Māori New Year when it appears in early June.

tupuna: The Māori word for 'ancestor'.

Whiro: The New Moon phase and the beginning of the lunar month.

Maramataka Lunar Calendar

The Maramataka is the traditional Māori calendar. It is a lunar calendar, which means it is based on the monthly cycles of the phases of Marama, which is different to calendars that mark the passing of time based on how long the Earth takes to orbit the Sun.

The Maramataka, which literally means 'the moon turning,' is the Māori calendar, and is the traditional Māori way by which time was marked. It begins in Pipiri (June/July) with the reappearance of the Matariki star cluster signalling the New Year. The year was usually divided into 12 months, and Whiro (the New Moon) was the start of the month. Rather than referring ot the days of the month, Māori used the Moon phases themselves to mark how many days were in a month - about 30 days.

Cultural Significance of the Maramataka

The Maramataka is based on Māori observations of the Moon phases and how it affected the natural environment around them. These patterns were then passed down verbally from one generation to the next.

Historically, the Maramataka was developed by each iwi to help them predict what was happening in the environment around them. They observed changes in the forest, water, animals, and land and most areas had their own Maramataka that was unique to the place they lived.

By carefully observing their environment, Māori noticed trends in which activities were best suited for each phase of Marama. Some days (nights) of the Maramataka were better to do certain activities than other days. For example, planting and harvesting food supplies was conducted almost always through consulting the Maramataka. Similarly, fishing or convening an important hui or conducting rituals, such as baptisms, the Maramataka was consulted. It also marked significant annual events such as celebrations in the time of Matariki and other seasonal activities.

Dr. Rangi Mātāmua has helped reinvigorate the Maramataka, refining the knowledge of Māori tupuna (ancestors) and noting the significance of tracking the stars alongside the month. He teaches the Maramataka according to a luni-stella calendar, meaning it uses the cycles of the stars as well as Marama. His calendar requires that every 3 years, there is an extra month added to the year in order to bring the phases of the moon match the times of the stars again.