Greens welcome long-overdue Matariki public holiday announcement

The Green Party welcomes the announcement by the Prime Minister today of the first Matariki holiday date (24 June 2022).

Green Party spokesperson for Māori Development Dr Elizabeth Kerekere said today:

“We have long pushed for Aotearoa to honour our unique te ao Māori worldviews, and the announcement of the first Matariki Day is really exciting.

“Matariki is a time for acknowledging mātauranga Māori: to reflect, celebrate, claim our past, and look forward. It gives us time to acknowledge our taiao and te marama i te pō, teach our tamariki about how our tūpuna used the stars and our whenua, awa and moana to guide us.

“As well as increasing cultural awareness around our history, an extra public holiday will encourage New Zealanders to get out to the regions and support small businesses that have been hurt by the drop off in tourism.

“The commitment from both the Greens and Labour to make Matariki a public holiday reflects the shared values which make our partnership strong.

“We look forward to celebrating Matariki Day in 2022 with all of you.”

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