Matariki After Dark: Leading from the frontMatariki i te Pō: He ihu waka, he ihu tangata

Name: Matariki After Dark: Leading from the front
Location: Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Hei whakanui mā ngā pakeke anake mō ngā kōrero, ngā tikanga, me te mātauranga kua wānangahia i waenga i Aotearoa, ā puta noa i Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa.

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An adults-only celebration of the stories, traditions, and mātauranga shared between Aotearoa New Zealand and Te Moananui-a-Kiwa, the wider Pacific.

When | Āhea

Thu 2 Jul 2026, 7.30pm to 11pm

Where | Ki hea

Across Level 4

Cost | Te utu

Free with museum entry

Age

16+

Accessibility

NZSL Interpteted programme
Wheelchair accessible
Some activities will have flashing lights

Matariki Herenga Waka, the theme of this year’s celebrations, acknowledges the stories, traditions, and mātauranga carried by waka, and the voyages that bring people together.

Whether you know it as Matariki, Makali’I, or Subaru, this star cluster is recognised across a wide range of cultures throughout Te Moananui-a-Kiwa, the wider Pacific.

Come together to celebrate Matariki through music, kōrero, performances, workshops, and kai.

R&B, hip‑hop blended beats with KOREKASH.
Dance the night away with our Cook Island whanaunga/whānau through performances by Inano Dance.
Learn about the practice of tīvaevaefrom the Tīpurepure ‘Au Vaine.
Weave and wānanga with the Pacific Climate Warriors.
Learn about te reo o te waka from Te Moananui-a-Kiwa, with experienced kaumoana from Ngahiraka Mai Tawhiti. This kōrero will be in te reo Māori.
Te Papa curators and special guest speakers kōrero about waka and collection highlights.
Explore our Mānawatia a Matariki hub, relax with some Māori Mermaid colouring in, play kēmu with friends, or chat around the fire.
Cash bar and seasonal kai available.

This event will have NZSL interpretation. A full schedule, including information for Deaf whānau, will be shared soon.

Ngā ringatoi me ngā kaikōrero‌Artists and speakers

Ko Mahara Nicholas, o Tauranga Moana, he ihu waka i te ao Māori mō te whakarauora i te reo Māori, i te mātauranga Māori me ngā kaupapa Māori. Nā hoki, he raukura a Mahara nō te kura kaupapa, e urutō ai te mauri me te mana o te reo Māori ki roto ki ō tātou rangatahi, rā roto i āna mahi ki Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Kura Kōkiri.
He kaihautū waka rere moana a Mahara, e kauanuanutia ana i te tuia ōna ngā mātauranga o ngā tūpuna ki āna mahi ako, hei whakaora i te reo me ngā tikanga Māori mā ngā ringa tonu. Ko tōna rangatiratanga he atanga o ngā uara o Te Aho Matua, arā, ki te tautoko i ngā ākonga kia tipu, kia rea, kia mauritau.
I tua i te akomanga, he tohunga whakatere waka hourua a Mahara e ū nei ki te rauoratanga o ngā mātauranga o Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa mō te whakatere waka. Mā ēnei o ngā mahi, ka manaaki iho ia i ngā mātauranga tuku iho a ngā tūpuna ki ngā tupuranga ukiuki tau.
Nā runga anō i āna ako, āna ārahi me āna mahi ahurea, ka mahoratia e Mahara ngā wāhi ako kia ora anō ai te reo me te mātauranga Māori – he whakamana i ngā tupuranga kia hono anō ki tō rātou ao Māori hei tikitiki māhunga.
Whakaahua nā Rawhitiroa Photrgraphy @rawhitiroa
**Mahara Nicholas** (Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi Te Rangi) is a dedicated leader in te ao Māori, recognised for his commitment to te reo Māori revitalisation, mātauranga Māori, and kaupapa Māori education. Grounded in the principles of kura kaupapa Māori, Mahara plays a significant role in nurturing the language, identity, and cultural confidence of rangatahi through his work within Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Kura Kōkiri.
A respected kaihautū and practitioner of traditional navigation, Mahara integrates ancestral knowledge systems into teaching and learning, bringing te reo Māori and tikanga to life in meaningful and practical ways. His leadership reflects the values of Te Aho Matua, supporting ākonga to grow as strong, capable, and culturally grounded individuals.
Beyond the classroom, Mahara is a waka hourua captain and wayfinder, dedicated to the revitalisation of Pacific voyaging traditions. Through this work, he reinforces the intergenerational transmission of knowledge, ensuring that the wisdom of the tūpuna continues to inform and inspire future generations.
Through his teaching, leadership, and cultural practice, Mahara creates spaces where te reo Māori and mātauranga Māori are not only preserved but lived – empowering others to reconnect with their heritage and carry it forward with pride.
Photo by Rawhitiroa Photography @rawhitiroa

Ko **Hinerapa Rupuha**, nō Ngāti Kahungunu me Te Whānau a Apanui, he kaitaunaki i te reo Māori, i ngā tikanga Māori me te mātauranga Māori, e mau pū nei ki te oranga tonutanga o te ahurea Māori. I whakatipuria ia ki ngā pārekereke o te Kōhanga Reo me Te Kura Kaupapa Māori, i runga anō i te kaupapa o Te Aho Matua, he tirohanga ao Māori e pū mai ana i te reo, i te tuakiri, me te whanaungatanga.
He wahine a Hinerapa e monoa ana i tōna mārama ki te mātauranga reo Māori, ki ngā āheinga ahurea, me tōna rākeia ki ngā tohu o Te Pīnakitanga ki te Reo Kairangi me Te Panekiretanga o te Reo, he tohu tiketike i te ao Māori. Inā anō te rangiwhāwhā o āna mahi mātauranga, tohutohu, takawaenga, tautoko anō ki ngā rōpū me ngā hapori, kia pūmau te reo me ngā tikanga Māori ki ā rātou mahi.
He mātanga a Hinerapa e ū nei ki te whakatere waka. I tāna whakangaua ki ngā kai māro o te whakatere waka, he pūkenga ōna ki ngā whetū, ki te moana me te taiao, waihoki kua kapi i a ia ngā awa ararau o Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa. He tohu manawaroa, he tohu manawatīna ēnei ki ngā taonga whakarere iho a ōna tūpuna.
**Hinerapa Rupuha** (Ngāti Kahungunu, Te Whānau a Apanui) is a passionate advocate for te reo Māori, tikanga Māori, and mātauranga Māori, with a deep commitment to cultural revitalisation and empowerment. Raised within Kōhanga Reo and Kura Kaupapa Māori, she carries strong foundations in Te Aho Matua, grounding her work in a holistic Māori worldview that centres language, identity, and whanaungatanga.
Hinerapa is highly regarded for her expertise in Māori language education and cultural capability, holding both Te Pīnakitanga ki te Reo Kairangi and Te Panekiretanga o te Reo, prestigious qualifications that reflect excellence and mastery in te reo Māori. She has worked extensively across education, advisory, and facilitation spaces, supporting organisations and communities to authentically embed te reo and tikanga Māori into their practice.
Hinerapa is a dedicated practitioner of traditional navigation. As a trained celestial navigator, she draws on ancestral knowledge of the stars, ocean, and environment, and has completed significant voyages across Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa, embodying the resilience, discipline, and intergenerational knowledge of her tūpuna.
Grounded in te ao Māori and driven by a strong sense of purpose, Hinerapa brings depth, authenticity, and inspiration to her work as a facilitator, educator, and leader – uplifting others to reconnect with knowledge systems, language, culture, and identity.

**KOREKASH**, he tokoono ringatoi Māori nō Aotearoa kei Pōneke. Ko ngā oro he ranunga o te R&B, o te hipihope, me ngā oro whano kē.
Ka pā kaha mai te hihiri i a rātou, ahakoa ki te ahurewa, ki te wharetoi. Tokotoru he kaiwaiata, tokotoru atu he kaipuoro rapi, ā, ko tētahi tokorua he kaiwhakangao, ka mutu ko te 100% o ngā putanga a KOREKASH, he mea hanga e rātou. I tipu ake ēnei iho pūmanawa i roto i te ahurea me te mahi tahi, ā, ka puakina mai i ā rātou oro maiangi, ngā tau roa o tā rātou noho tahi.
**KOREKASH** is a powerhouse collective of six Māori artists repping roots from across Aotearoa, based in Te Whanganui-ā-Tara. Blending R&B, hip-hop, and genre-bending sounds.
Their energy hits just as hard on stage as it does in the studio. With three singers, three rappers, and two members doubling as in-house producers, everything KOREKASH created is 100% self-made. Grounded in culture, collaboration and raw talent, the group delivers a dynamic sound built through years of friendship, work, and lived experience.

**The Kiribati Community Club Incorporated**, arā ko Wellington Kiribati Community (WKC), he kaupapa i waihangatia e ngā kainoho I-Kiripati tuatahi ki Pōneke i te tau 1995, hei whakaora i te reo me te ahurea Kiripati. Ko ōna mema kei ngā tōpito o Pōneke Whānui, kei Taitoko, Papaioea, Whanganui, me Ngāmotu. He tiaki i te ahurea me te reo te tino haepapa o te rōpū. Nā te Manatū mō ngā iwi o Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa anō i whakamana te wiki o te reo Kiripati hei huinga i huataki i te tau 2020, ki te tautoko i te whakaakotanga o te ahurea o taua reo ki te rangatahi. Hei tērā o ngā wiki o te reo he hohenga riaki kara, he whakaari ahurea, he akoako kupu Kiripati, he ako ki te waiata me te kanikani, he tunu me te whakaora, he mahi kupenga, he tārai waka.
He mea hira kia mōhio ngā tamariki me ngā rangatahi ki te hiranga ake o te waka ki te ahurea Kiripati, arā, ki te mairanga i te moana, i te whenua me te iwi. Mā ngā hui ngahau me ngā whakangungu ā-tau ka rangona te reo Kiripati, me ngā uara ki ngā hapori kāinga. Mā ēnei wheako hoki ka mārama ō tatou rangatahi ki te manaaki i te ahurea.
**The Kiribati Community Club Incorporated**, also known as Wellington Kiribati Community (WKC), was founded in 1995 by the first I-Kiribati settlers in Wellington to preserve the Kiribati language and culture. Members live across Greater Wellington, including Levin, Palmerston North, Wanganui, and New Plymouth. Preserving culture and language remains the group’s central priority. The Ministry for Pacific Peoples endorsed Kiribati language week as an official event starting in 2020, further supporting the teaching of the culture and language to young people. The language week included activities such as flag raising, cultural performances, teaching Kiribati words, singing and dancing lessons, traditional cooking and healing, making fishing nets, and building a model te waa (canoe).
It is important for children and young people to know the waa’s significance in Kiribati heritage, reflecting respect for the ocean, land, and people. Annual celebrations and training showcase Kiribati language and values to both the community and other ethnic groups, promoting understanding and appreciation. These experiences help our youth take pride in their heritage.

**Tīpurepure ‘Au Vaine**, he kāhui tīvaevae kua roa e rauika mai ana i ia Taite ki Porirua, mai noa i te tau 2019. Ka takea mai tōna whakapapa i ngā va’inetini (he tini wāhine) me ngā au va’ine (he kāhui wāhine) o Ngā Kuki Airani, inā hoki ko tā Tipurepure ‘Au Vaine he whakaora, he whakamānawa, he whakarea i te mahi tīvaevae.
Ko te kaupapa o ngā huinga wiki he kōhure i te hira o te tīvaevae hei huinga tangata. I tua atu i tōna noho hei toi kāmehameha, he tikanga tūturu te tīvaevae nō Ngā Kuki Airani. Otirā mā te waihanga tonu, ka opeope i a Tīpurepure ‘Au Vaine te reo, te ahurea, me ngā taura here tētahi ki tētahi, kia rea tonu ai te tuakiri Kuki Airani ki Aotearoa.
Whakaahua nā Ralph Brown Pacifica Arts Centre Moanaroa
**Tīpurepure ‘Au Vaine** is a tīvaevae collective that has gathered every Thursday in Porirua since 2019. Rooted in a proud lineage of Cook Islands va’inetini (women’s groups) and au va’ine (women’s guilds), Tīpurepure ‘Au Vaine come together to sustain, celebrate, and evolve the practice of tīvaivai.
Their weekly gatherings also emphasise the important social role of tīvaevae. In addition to being a treasured Cook Islands artform, tīvaevae is also a social practice. Through making, Tīpurepure ‘Au Vaine nurtures language, kinship and culture, creating a space for Cook Islands identity to thrive in Aotearoa.
Photo by Ralph Brown Pacifica Arts Centre Moanaroa

**Ko Inano Dance me: Tūrama After Dark**
Tomokia a Tūrama After Dark, e rumakina koe ki ngā wheako matawā o ngā oro me ngā kori tinana a Ngā Kuki Airani.
Ka pāorooro ā rātou oro rerehua i te pēne aho, me ngā kaikanikani hei whakanui i te manawataki, i te paki kōrero, me ngā hononga.
He mea waihanga a Tūrama i te kaupeka o Matariki hei whakaata i te pūtahitanga o Te Ao Māori ki te ao Kuki Airani mā te haka, te waiata me te wheako tahi.
Nau mai, kia tuki tahi ki ngā whakaari matawā, ki te wairua o Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa, me ōna mānawatanga ki Te Papa After Dark.
**Inano Dance presents: Tūrama After Dark**
Step into Tūrama After Dark, an immersive live Pacific experience where the vibrant energy of Cook Islands music and dance transforms the night.
Driven by the rich sounds of a live Kuki string band, dancers emerge throughout the space in a continuous celebration of rhythm, storytelling, and connection.
Created during the Matariki season, Tūrama (to illuminate) reflects the coming together of Te Ao Māori and Kuki Airani culture through movement, song, and shared experience.
Audiences are invited to journey through an atmosphere alive with performance, island spirit, and celebration, as Te Papa After Dark pulses with the heartbeat of the Pacific.

Ko 350.org‌‍‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‍‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‍‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌ **Pacific Climate Warriors** he rōpū rangatahi e mahi ana ki ngā hapori kāinga ki te āki atu i ngā huringa a te āhuarangi ki ngā tini motu o Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa. Neke atu i te 18 ōna tīma kei Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa, e 5 atu anō mō ngā uri o Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa e noho marara ana. Ko te tīma o Pōneke nei tētahi o ngā tīma e rua nei o Aotearoa. Ko tā te Pacific Climate Warriors he whakamahi i te mātauranga, i ngā kaupapahere, me ngā porotū ki te whakaawe i ngā pūnaha panoni, mā te whakatinana anō i te manawaroa, i te kaha me te māia ki te para i te huarahi ki ngā take āhuarangi.
The 350.org **Pacific Climate Warriors** are a youth-led grassroots network working with communities to fight climate change from the Pacific Islands and diaspora. With over 18 teams across the Pacific and 5 in the Pacific Diaspora, our Te Whanganui-a-Tara team is one of 2 diaspora teams based in Aotearoa. Using education, policy, and activism to influence systems change, the Pacific Climate Warriors embody the resilience, strength, and courage to lead in a climate crisis.

Kei mahue ko ērā atu hui! Kia mau tonu ki ngā pānui i Te Papa

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Matariki: The Māori New Year
Learn all about Matariki and see our events. Matariki is a time to gather with family and friends to reflect on the past, celebrate the present, and plan for the future.
Mānawatia a Matariki
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23 Apr - 19 Jul 2026
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The navigation of the Pacific by waka hourua | double-hulled sailing waka is one of the great achievements of human technology. This exhibition celebrates the mātauranga of celestial navigation that enabled these extraordinary voyages.
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Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

Matariki After Dark: Leading from the frontMatariki i te Pō: He ihu waka, he ihu tangata

Ngā ringatoi me ngā kaikōrero‌Artists and speakers

Kei mahue ko ērā atu hui! Kia mau tonu ki ngā pānui i Te Papa

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