When football fans arrive in New Zealand this month ahead of the Women’s World Cup, they may not be welcomed by Auckland or Wellington, but by ‘Tamaki Makaulau’ (‘Tamaki Makaulau’) or ‘Te’. Whanganui a Tara” (“Tay Whanganui a Tara”).
These names, by which the city is called in Te Reo Maori, the country’s indigenous language, are reflected in the official documents for this year’s Women’s World Cup, and reflect indigenous language and imagery. Unapologetically placed on the front lines.
All of the cities where matches are played have English and Indigenous names, and FIFA announced earlier this month that all stadiums will display Indigenous and Maori flags. The initiative was followed by the football community and government officials. host Countries It is pushing for a more inclusive approach, which “will mean very much to so many people”, said Football Australia’s president.
In New Zealand, the decision reflects an ongoing debate about national identity.For decades, many New Zealanders routinely messed up and wrong pronunciation Names of cities and towns in this country in Maori. Taupo (“toupo”) was pronounced “taupo”. Otah-hu-hu (Oh-tah-hu-hu) was “Otelhu”. Paraparaumu (“paraparaumu”) was also sometimes simply called “plum”.
Recently, legislators, broadcasters and much of the public have pointed out these mispronunciations as part of a nationwide effort to get the name correct. At the same time, many people choose to use the original Māori names for their cities rather than the English alternative names. Last year it signed a formal petition to completely change the name of the country and restore all Maori names. 70,000+.
“Previously, saying a name correctly was a choice,” says Julia de Bres, a linguist at New Zealand’s Massey University. “And now I feel like I have the option not to.”
Hemi Dale, Director of Maori Secondary Education at the University of Auckland, said visitors should definitely use these names and the common greeting ‘Kia Ora’ (‘Kee au Ra’).
“Once you understand the vowels, your tongue will be able to understand most words, including longs, shorts, and long notes,” says a horizontal line above a vowel to indicate a stressed syllable.
(Note: New Zealanders abroad, of whatever ancestry, often allow themselves to be skeptical about how foreigners say the word ‘Maori’. correct pronunciation Closest to “Mao-ree”, never “May-or-i”. The plural is simply “Maori” without the “s” which does not appear in this language. )
Advocacy for Maori place names can be seen throughout New Zealand life. New Zealanders increasingly refer to their homeland as Aotearoa. This Māori name is often translated as ‘Land of the Long White Cloud’ and has been used by Māori to refer to the country. Over decades, if not centuries. Maori and English names are used as the name of this country. weather serviceupon Newly released official map and further signs on country roads.
The change is the result of a decades-long campaign to revive the language, which was threatened with extinction by colonialism, said Maori Language Commissioner Lawinia Higgins.
As English-speaking settlers became the majority, the Māori and their language were marginalized and suppressed. In the 1980s, Māori children were beaten in schools for speaking Māori, and many adults chose not to pass the language on to their families.
A Māori revival movement beginning in the 1970s adopted Te Leo as one of the country’s two official languages alongside sign language, establishing the Māori language. about 500 early childhood schools Only Maori is spoken there.
Many non-Maori New Zealanders have embraced this change, leaving a long waiting list for Maori courses. The government aims to have one million New Zealanders, about one-fifth of the population, fluent in Māori by 2040.
But for a small but vocal minority, bicultural societies are seen as divisive rather than inclusive.
Last year, some New Zealanders called for a boycott of chocolatier Whitaker’s milk chocolate bar, which was temporarily labeled ‘Milaka Kirimi’ (creamy milk) on its packaging. The issue of bilingual street signs has become very important ahead of this year’s general election, where issues of race politics have become a feature of centre-right rhetoric.
A more prominent example of change is that place names have become embroiled in controversy. Forgotten in that discussion is the reality that the names of colonial countries are often largely irrelevant to the places associated with them.
Christchurch, for example, was named as a reminder of its name. oxford university collegeThe name Auckland comes from gratitude. George Eden, Earl of Oakland. Eden was the superior of former New Zealand Governor William Hobson, who chose this name. Eden never set foot in the city.
In contrast, Māori place names reflect information specific to the place, such as where important stories or food can be found, said Māori teachers, advocates and artists such as Lorde Singer. says translator Hannah Skerrett-White, who has worked with
“Maori names tell us stories,” she said. “They tell stories about our history and important events, they really act as pockets of knowledge and are how we transmit information from generation to generation.
“When those names are stripped, our knowledge system is also destroyed in the process.”
There are various English translations of ‘Tamaki Makaulau’, from which Auckland is known in Maori. One theory suggests that the city, with its palm-fringed harbor and volcanoes, is the place many desire. The other tells the story of Tamaki, a beautiful princess, and her many admirers.
Paola Puru, an advocate for the Māori language and co-founder of the Māori social enterprise Te Manu Taupua, says that from a Māori perspective, each understanding is equally valid and that individual tribes, That said, different iwis might take different approaches.
“Every person has their own interpretation, their own meaning,” he says. “I liken it to the invisible umbilical cord that binds you to the place, and the traditional connections, connections, occupations, or uses of your ancestors in that particular area.”