Goodbye to a shining star MIRIAMA KAMO'S EMOTIONAL FAREWELL

Why our new public holiday, Matariki, means so much to the Sunday presenter

- Sebastian van der Zwan

For Miriama Kamo, the upcoming Matariki celebrations, marking the arrival of the star cluster in our skies and the beginning of the Ma-ori New Year, make her emotional on many levels.

For a start, the inaugural official public holiday on 24 June will see Aotearoa embracing its indigenous heritage on a day that’s uniquely ours.

“It’s so important in the evolution of this country,” enthuses the Sunday presenter, 48. “It says to us and to the world that we value our ma-tauranga or Ma-ori knowledge. It’s a really big deal and a wonderful example of what we can do when we work together. It’s a coming-of-age for New Zealand and it brings me so much joy.”

However, it’s also tinged with sadness because Matariki is traditionally the time when the spirits of loved ones who have passed during the previous year – like Miriama’s beloved father Raynol – leave this earth and become stars in the night sky.

“I cried when that was first mentioned to me,” says the Christchurch-born journalist, who is of Nga-i Tahu and Nga-ti Mutunga descent. “Isn’t that a cool idea that one day we all ascend into the heavens and take our place among the stars?”