Did you wake up one morning last week feeling lethargic for no reason? Did you feel as though the walls were closing in on you? You probably weren’t alone. Last Wednesday (1 April) was ‘Huna’ or the hidden moon according to the Whanganui Maramataka (lunar calendar) and Huna is usually followed by low energy. Māori lived according to the lunar calendar for millennia. Paying close attention to how lunar cycles affect crops, fish, birds, and our moods.

A group of local people, inspired by Matauranga Māori (traditional Māori knowledge), have worked together to create a Facebook page to help people struggling with day to day life during the Covid 19 rāhui (lock-in). Called Awa Puoro ki te Ao, the page not only aims to raise awareness of the maramataka but also contains projects and activities you can do at home to combat tension, anxiety, depression and boredom.

The administrators of the page are Jessica Kahukura (Te Atihaunui a Paparangi, Ngarauru, Ngati Kahungungu, Ngati Tūwharetoa), Tom Johnson (Ngati Kahungungu), Meretini Bennett-Huxtable (Te Atihaunui a Paparangi, Ngā Iwi Nui o Mokai Patea, Ngati Raukawa te au ki te Tonga, Tainui), Elise Goodge (Ngā Tāngata Tiriti), and Sebastian Lowe (Ngā Tāngata Tiriti).

They all met last year and worked together to deliver a taonga puoro (traditional Māori musical instruments) and hauora hinengaro (mental health) wananga (symposium) at Te Ao Hou Marae in Aramoho. “The wananga was a wonderful and inspiring time,” says Elise Goodge, a taonga puoro player and maker, “we knew when it finished that the journey couldn’t end there, that traditional knowledge and art forms combined have enormous potential to help people, Māori and non-Māori.”

Sebastian Lowe, PHD researcher in anthropology, describes the motivations for starting the page. “The intention is to create a beautiful space in which to share narratives of hauora (wellbeing) with our community at a time when the digital realm is becoming crucially important for us to stay connected.” Another collaborator, Tom Johnson, who works as an Iwi health provider describes his intentions for the page as, “a safe way for Tāne Māori (Māori men) to explore and discuss their journeys to mental wellness utilising taonga puoro and te maramataka as powerful wellbeing tools.”

The Facebook page, Awa Puoro ki te Ao, launched last week and already has over 600 followers. The group hope to see this number increase and encourage anyone looking for new tools and knowledge to aid in difficult times to follow the page.

The posts include video’s, activity sheets, a week to week maramataka forecast, sound baths and more. “We are all very excited about this project” Elise continues, “it is a wonderful collaboration of matauranga Māori for the Whanganui rohe (region) and beyond.”

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