Matariki and NAIDOC Week 2022

On 24 June 2022, Aotearoa New Zealand celebrated Matariki as an official public holiday for the first time. Matariki is the name of a star cluster in the constellation of Taurus, commonly also known as Pleiades, which rises on the horizon towards the end of May each year and heralds Te Mātahi o te Tau, the Māori New Year. The arrival of Matariki signals that it is time for people to gather, honour the dead, celebrate the present, and make plans for the future.

For more information about Matariki, visit the Aotearoa New Zealand Parliament website.

NAIDOC Week (National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee) runs from 3-10 July and celebrates the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This year's theme encourages all Australians to Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up! - whether it’s seeking proper environmental, cultural, and heritage protections, Constitutional change, a comprehensive process of truth-telling, working towards treaties, or calling out racism - we must do it together.

For more information about NAIDOC week and associated events, visit the NAIDOC website.

The Society wishes all Members a Happy Matariki and NAIDOC Week.