12th Matariki Month - Haratua

Te Marama o Matariki He Maramataka Māori - Haratua

12th Month of the Māori Year - May/June

 

E pūāwai tonu ana ētahi Rātā. E whakamine ana te Kawau Pū. He wā ngahuru ka taka ngā raurau o ngā rākau. Kei roto katoa ngā Kūmara i ngā pātaka kai. E makariri ana a Papatūānuku. Kua oti katoa ngā mahi hauhake huawhenua i roto i tēnei wā o te marama āwhio.

Some Rata are flowering. Black Shag are seen found roosting in larger numbers. Deciduous natives start losing their leaves. Sweet Potato are now safely stored. Earth is growing cold. All tasks connected with harvest are completed within this lunar cycle.

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Te Tohu o Kaupeka - Kawau Pū

Sign of the Season - Black Shag (Phalacrocorax carbo)

“He Kawau ka tuku ki roto ki te aro maunga”
“A cormorant makes straight for his home on the heights”

This whakatauākī (proverb) reflects on the Kawau as a warrior of execution and accomplishment due to the direct flight of this bird, a reference to those who remain focused on their objectives.

When Kawau Pū nest, the earth has grown cold and all tasks connected with harvesting crops are completed.

Kawau Pū, a black-footed shag also referred to as the Black or Great Cormorant, is a large inland shag native to New Zealand that grows to a height of 88cm and can weigh 2.2kg. It is predominately covered in sleek blue-black feathers with white feathered cheeks and white thighs when breeding. It has a pale grey bill and green eyes. Kawau Pū have long necks are very strong swimmers with their short legs and webbed feet, they are capable of diving to a depth of 12m feeding on fish, eels, shellfish and freshwater crays.

They are commonly seen from the coasts to high alpine regions of North and South Islands, perching precariously on posts, rock ledges and in trees, or roosting together in colonies on dishevelled nests of seaweed and sticks from Haratua to Whiringa-ā-nuku (12th to the 5th Matariki month).

Kawau Pū are known as Te Mokopuna a Terepunga, the grandchildren of Terepunga, who with Noho-tumutumu are the personified forms of the Kawau. Terepunga is descended from Ranginui-ā-Tama (or Tamaiwaho) an Atua of War who in turn is descended from Rangi and Papa. Kawau were held responsible for instigating the war between the birds of the land and seabirds.