Honoring the sky

On March 13, 2022, a cultural sharing event was held at Te Pū ‘Atiti’a on the theme of Ruatià, Equinox, and its observation in the sky. The presentation was led by Heipua Bordes and Christiane Brillant in front of over 150 spectators.

Following the presentation on Ruatià, members of the Te Ara Fetu (the path of the stars) think-tank set up a group to reflect on the constellations in our culture. This group met 3 times to observe the sky at suitable times of the year: Matari’i i ni’a, i raro, ruati’a. The Ministry of Culture has been asked to fund the production of a trilingual booklet for the Mo’orea population, which will summarize and popularize what has been learned.

On September 24, 2022, a star compass was made on Tohiea: as an extension of the work carried out by the Te Ara Fetu group, 4 members of the federation climbed Mo’orea’s highest peak and made a star compass with ‘autī on the spot. These markers will later be used to create a sign to help campers locate certain constellations.