Māori astronomy educators Josh Kirkley and Olive Karena-Lockyer are running a series of interactive Matariki shows at Stardome.
During each show Kirkley, of Ngāi Tahu, and Karena-Lockyer, of Te Aupouri and Ngāti Raukawa, present a live kōrero under the plantetarium stars about ngā whetū (the stars), ngā aorangi (the planets), maramataka (lunar cycle) and the many stories passed down from generation to generation.
“The ultimate goal is to really just keep our culture alive to make sure that everything we’re sharing is tika and that it's shared with people because, if we’re not sharing it, it’ll be forgotten, so really the ultimate goal is to really just keep our Māori culture alive,” Kirkley says.
Kirkley is an astro-photographer and for the past four years has been working as one of Stardome’s kaiako o mātai arorangi (astronomy educators).
“Mātai arorangi Māori is so integral to our culture. Our tūpuna had used these stars for thousands of years to actually find the country in the first place and it’s just really deeply rooted in our tikanga and culture, so to be able to share that is just really important.”
The stars of Matariki / Photo - Josh Kirkley
Kirkley’s passion for space was kicked off through his love of astrophotography, having taken images of the night skies in Aotearoa for more than six years. During lockdown, one of his images was picked up by NASA and shared on the space agency's Instagram to its 59.2 million followers.
“Personally I’ve drawn on so much of Dr Rangi Matamua’s matauranga. He’s just an expert in the field. All of his kōrero is something I’ve really absorbed, Kirkley says.
“We’ve had the pleasure of having Rereata Makiha in. He’s a maramataka expert. The works of Riki Solomon, he’s done a lot of work on the maramataka and Māori mental health.”
Meanwhile, Karena-Lockyer started working at Stardome in 2017 as a telescope operator before becoming a planetarium presenter.
“I started here just as a volunteer outside with the telescopes just because I was interested and I wanted to be around people who could teach me things about the sky and I have been here ever since.”
Photo - Josh Kirkley
Karena-Lockyer’s fascination lies in the grandeur, beauty, and scale of the universe. Her passion is being able to share her mātauranga and aroha for matai aorangi and showing manaaki to all Stardome’s manuhiri.
“Wāhine Māori have a deep perspective. We’re so wise and strong and we have our own mana and I think we’d bring a lot to any hard science or anything that we do. I think anywhere would be lucky to have us," she says.
“We’d love to see more wahine Māori next to me as my peers and my colleagues.”
Kirkley says the show they’re presenting at Stardome is not just about Matariki but an introduction to Māori astronomy.
“Matariki for me is a time to look forward to the year ahead but also look back at the year that’s just been. It’s a time to reflect and also acknowledge our mate especially at times like these too.
Stardome chief executive Victoria Travers says she is proud and grateful to have Josh and Karena-Lockyerlead in the show.
“I feel really fortunate to have tāngata whenua staff able to take the lead on that and we’re able to tautoko them and, as a result, I think the Matariki kōrero and the presentation that we have is absolutely grounded in that authenticity and that it’s a show that’s got a lot of soul and, yes, it's beautiful.”
The show is open every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night.