Regional Background
Due to the difficulty in viewing Matariki from the west of Aotearoa, New Zealand, as it sits low on the eastern horizon. Some western tribes celebrate the rising of Puanga instead of Matariki to signify the beginning of the New Year. Though many aspects of this time were traditionally the same as elsewhere in Aotearoa, the celebration of the rising of Puanga has its own characteristics and stories unique to this region.
