In New Zealand, the rising of the star Rigel and this star cluster marks the start of the Maori New Year in late June or early July. For 10 points each:
[10e] The Maori word Matariki refers to what star cluster composed of “seven sisters?” In Greek myth, these daughters of Atlas are pursued by Orion in the night sky.
ANSWER: Pleiades
[10m] The positioning of the Matariki, the flowering of the kowhai tree, and the migration of the shining bronze cuckoo were all used to determine the planting time of this crop, which the Maori call kumara.
ANSWER: sweet potatoes [reject “potatoes”; reject “yams”]
[10h] Similarly, the flowering of the kowhai tree also marked the start of this animal’s harvest. In Europe, this animal’s “fairy loaf” fossils were commonly used as protective thunderstones alongside belemnite fossils.
ANSWER: sea urchins [accept echinoids; accept kina; prompt on urchins]
<KT, Mythology>