Matariki: A Time to Reconnect with Nature and Rediscover Our Roots

As the Matariki star cluster graces the winter sky, it heralds a period of rest, reflection, and planning. Traditionally, this was a time when crops were harvested and stored, and communities would gather to stay warm, share food, and prepare for the upcoming gardening season. However, in our modern, urbanized world, the significance of Matariki has evolved. Renowned rongoā healer Donna Kerridge believes that Matariki now serves as a reminder for us to reevaluate our relationship with the natural world.

The Disconnect from Nature

According to Donna, our urban lifestyles have made us somewhat averse to nature’s raw elements. We often shy away from the wind in our faces, the rain in our hair, and the mud between our toes. We’ve even taken to calling nature’s creatures ‘creepy-crawlies.’ This detachment from nature is something Donna believes we need to address.

Embracing Winter’s Purification

Even Donna, a seasoned rongoā practitioner, sometimes needs to remind herself of winter’s purpose. She views winter as a time for the earth’s purification, a period of dormancy that allows for rest and recreation. Donna is a rock star in the field of traditional Māori rongoā, a holistic practice that encompasses the mind, body, and spirit. Her work includes herbal medicine using indigenous plants, physical treatments like mirimiri (massage), and fostering spiritual and community wellbeing.

The Power of Plant Medicine

Donna’s primary focus is on caring for the mana and mauri of people, ensuring they are in a place where they can heal. While plants like mānuka, kawakawa, and kūmarahou are renowned for their healing properties, rongoā rākau is about more than just ‘green pharmacy.’ It’s about empowering people to reconnect with nature and appreciate its beauty and gifts.

A Holistic Approach to Healing

Donna recalls a case where a 42-year-old woman sought her help for severe menstrual problems. Instead of merely prescribing a plant-based medicine, Donna took her patient into the bush, showed her the kohekohe plant, and taught her how to prepare it. Six months later, the woman’s menstrual problems had disappeared, and she was pregnant. This outcome was as much about empowering the woman to take charge of her own healing as it was about the plant’s medicinal properties.

Donna’s Journey into Rongoā

Donna’s interest in what makes people live well and feel better began in her childhood, where rongoā was a part of everyday life. After a career in IT, she decided to devote her time to learning more about rongoā. She learned by observing kaitiaki of rongoā and completed a degree in health science. However, she eventually returned to traditional ways of knowing, finding them more complete.

Promoting Rongoā Māori

Donna now spends much of her time running Ora New Zealand, her company that promotes rongoā Māori. She also guest lectures at tertiary organizations and advises government agencies on health policy. An important part of her work involves fostering mutual respect between contemporary and traditional medical practitioners. When she’s not working, she enjoys relaxing in nature, often parking her campervan at beautiful sites.

The Importance of the Maramataka

Donna emphasizes the significance of the maramataka, the Māori lunar calendar, in understanding nature’s rhythms. The maramataka’s observations of repetitive cycles can predict the best days for planting, harvesting, hunting, and fishing. Donna cautions against oversimplifications, noting that each tree and its interactions with the sky and ocean are unique.

Climate Change and Nature’s Cycles

Donna believes that climate change is a result of our attempts to change the land rather than working with nature’s cycles. She advocates for the care and protection of Mother Earth, Papatūānuku. Her advice for reconnecting with nature is simple and enjoyable: walk in parks, get your hands in the earth, grow food or flowers, and appreciate the purpose of all weather.

The Healing Power of Nature

Walking along the seashore is one of the healthiest activities we can do, as the sea air is rich in minerals that our lungs absorb. Donna argues that we don’t need to know the science behind it; we just need to recognize that it makes us feel better and do it more often. Reconnecting with nature, she believes, will vastly improve our health and wellbeing.

For further reading on the benefits of nature on wellbeing, visit Nature.