Ngā mihi o Matariki, te tau hou Māori!
Matariki is a time for remembrance, celebration, and preparation. Marking the start of the Māori New Year, it’s also a time to connect with the environment, share kai, reflect on cultural traditions, and express gratitude.
We asked our Board Director, Elle Archer, how she celebrates Matariki with her whānau and what this time means to her.
He Kōrero mō Matariki i Hauraki
Matariki in Hauraki is more than a time – it’s a feeling. A return. A remembering.
For us, Matariki is when the horizon over Tīkapa moana calls us home to our tūpuna lands. It’s when the cold breath of Te Huhuka o te Uru whispers through the ngahere (forest), and the stars above remind us to slow down, sit together, and reconnect.
Back on the pā, around our ahi (fire), we come together not just as whānau – but as a living, breathing continuum of our people. We share kōrero, sing waiata, reflect on those we’ve lost, acknowledge the kaupapa we carry, and quietly plant the seeds of new beginnings. It’s a time to wānanga, to reclaim space and truth, and to ask: Who are we serving? How are we serving?
Matariki in Hauraki is a spiritual recalibration. A time to stand on our whenua, grounded and clear, and reorient ourselves toward a future that honours the past, holds the present, and serves those yet to come.
Aku mihi
Elle
From the N4L whānau to yours, we hope you have a wonderful and safe Matariki.
About Elle Archer
Elle Archer joined the N4L board in November 2022. Mrs Archer has extensive governance and strategic foresight skills and experience, with more than 15 years spent in development, delivery, maintenance, and review of technology-based services, and digital transformation projects. She has also worked for more than a decade in underground infrastructure, while leading the regional efforts for digital equity, inclusion, and excellence for Waitaha/Canterbury in connection with the national portfolio of works.
Mrs Archer is currently Chair of Te Hapori Matihiko (Māori DigiTech); Director, Tū Ātea, Telecommunications; Iwi Economic Development Lead, Ngāti Tamaterā; Director, AgriTech NZ; Chair, Waitaha Regional Digital Equity Joint Committee; Director, Aotearoa New Zealand Emergency Managers Association; Director, Regional Civil Defence Emergency Management Recovery Advisory Panel; and Trustee, Central Plains Water Trust. She currently works as a Senior Consultant at ELG Global, as well as presenting and guest lecturing at the University of Canterbury.
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