The first park to receive fully bilingual te Reo / English signage in the Henderson-Massey Local Board area has been celebrated at Pukewhakataratara / Rush Creek in Massey with a blessing at a dawn ceremony.
While the blessing was delayed due to Covid-19 restrictions, it was attended by representatives of Ngāti Whātua o Kaipara, the Henderson Massey Local Board, Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Kotuku and Auckland Council.
The event was held at dawn
Board member Will Flavell says that it is a significant moment that deserves recognition.
“The Henderson-Massey Local Board was one of the first boards to support the Te Kete Rukuruku programme because we recognise the importance of revitalising ancestral names,” he says.
“The connection we have with Ngāti Whātua o Kaipara to support the name, Pukewhakataratara, affirms the extent of their stories that are paramount to the area.
“Te reo Māori being clearly visible across our community and in our spaces is one of the ways we can support the goal of one million speakers of te reo Māori by 2040 and the introduction of Aotearoa history as a core component of our school curriculum.”
Tamariki from Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Kotuku helped celebrate the moment
In 2021, the board adopted a list of Māori names provided by mana whenua to add to 63 parks in the area as part of the council’s cultural identity programme Te Kete Rukuruku.
Many of the adopted names reflect environmental themes with others connecting to stories or activities that were historically significant to Māori in this area.
Some, such as Pukewhakatarara, are names that have been known and used by mana whenua for hundreds of years and are now finally being acknowledged and formally adopted to the areas where they belong.
Narratives are also supplied with all the names so that communities can learn not only the language but the meaning behind them.
Kaumātua Glenn Wilcox from Ngāti Whātua o Kaipara
The Story of Pukewhakataratara / Rush Creek
Local iwi Ngāti Whātua o Kaipara identified this name for restoration to the land where it historically once stood. They have provided the following narrative:
Pukewhakataratara is the maunga (mountain) that the suburb of Massey sits on. The literal translation is “hill that poses a challenge or obstacle”. This maunga sits in front of the many peaks extending from Muriwai to the Manukau Harbour. These peaks make up the Waitākere Ranges known as Ngā Rau Pou a Maki, the many posts of Maki.
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