A new children's picture book, Nani Jo me Ngā Mokopuna Porohīanga, highlights the significance of Matariki as a time to farewell loved ones.
Author Moira Wairama is of Pākehā descent but has fully immersed herself in te ao Māori, believing te reo Māori is just as important as any other language.
Wairama says she has been writing Māori and Pākehā children's books for the last 30 years, including the Pouaka Karetao, Puppet box - 2007 best-selling book, which is about a shy boy starting kura.
“It has always been my kaupapa, when possible, to try and write books in English and write it in Māori as well”, says Wairama.
She says since her sister has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, she felt motivated to create a keepsake book for her sister Joanna Huriwai’s ‘hīanga’ mokopuna.
“She is quite māuiui with that nasty taniwha, that ngārara called breast cancer and one of the things that has been hard for her, is knowing that she may not be around for her mokopuna.”
Wairama says one of the most special moments of creating this book is still having her sister and mokopuna be part of creating and designing the book.
“I was very grateful that my sister agreed that I could write this book and I am happy that she has been involved with it along the way, from having hui at the marae, looking at the pic,tures illustrated by Margaret Tolland and she is also going to be at the launch on Friday where she will hopefully present the book to some of the tamariki who have been involved in creating the artwork.”
Wairama says that though it has been an emotional rollercoaster, she is also happy with being able to add the story of Taramainuku, the ancestor who captains the sky canoe, Te Waka O Rangi.
Legend has it that every night Taramainuku casts his net down to earth to gather the souls of the people who died that day, which is where the saying "kua wheturangihia koe, you have now become a star' comes from.
Wairama touches on the significance of this story in her book, in a way to help whānau, especially children or grandchildren who grieve and mourn their loved ones.
“In the book is the legend of Taramainuku and the legend of te waka o rangi that sails in the sky and the way he lets down his nets for the spirits for those who have died and the idea of this book is that it gives a story that can open a conversation with children about the death of a loved one but it is within a story form”.
She claims that although facing death is difficult, she nevertheless hopes that this book would benefit whānau and maintain its integrity for her sister's 'hīanga' mokopuna.
"There is a joy between the nanny and the moko and the reality is, is that we all die but the moko stay on and, if they remember you, then you live on inside of them and that was the whole point of the book. It's about giving something to Joanna and her mokopuna while she is battling cancer.”