On a glorious Friday morning, the uplifting waiata from Ōtāhuhu College and mana whenua echoed in Te Taahuhu (Criterion Square), marking the receiving of dual te reo Māori names of twenty-one sites in Māngere-Ōtāhuhu.
With the presence and blessings of mana whenua Ngaati Te Ata Waiohua, Ngāti Tamaoho, and Te Aakitai Waiohua, the Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board is delighted that the area has been enriched with Māori names and narratives, celebrating and honouring the area’s cultural heritage.
Board chair Tauanu’u Nick Bakulich says, “The whakarewatanga ceremony was a powerful and moving event led by mana whenua, and it was a privilege for our board to participate.
“This initiative not only celebrates our Māori community but also enriches the cultural fabric of our entire area, inviting everyone to connect with and appreciate our shared history.”
A striking and beautiful performance from Ōtāhuhu College students.
The board invited mana whenua to name 123 parks as dual names in March 2019.
Sixty-two names were adopted in February 2021 and a further 21 adopted in June 2023.
“A key theme in our local board plan is Ō Tātou Wāhi or our places, and key to that is letting mana whenua lead the way and actively promoting Māori names for parks, facilities, roads and other public spaces,” adds Bakulich.
Mana whenua is now working on naming another 27 parks and three libraries. You can learn more about this here (refer to item 15).
Mana Whenua Ngaati Te Ata Waiohua, Ngāti Tamaoho, and Te Aakitai Waiohua.
The story behind the name
Some notable names and narratives include:
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Kanae-a-tai/Church Street Foreshore Reserve in Ōtāhuhu – The ‘mullet on the tide’ refers to the guardian taniwha Paneiraira, who feasted on mullet in the Tāmaki River
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Kukume/Wickman Way/Tennessee Reserve in Māngere - means ‘to haul’ and refers to waka being hauled across the Pūkaki portage to the Tāmaki River, and from the Ōtāhuhu waka portage Te Tō Waka into the Māngere inlet close to Harania creek.
Te Taahuhu plinth: narrative in Māori and English. The QR code on the plinth is also accessible.
All sites are intended for naming as dual names where the Māori name is added to the existing name, and nothing is taken away.
Three iwis provided the names for these sites - Te Ākitai Waiohua, Ngāti Tamaoho and Ngaati Te Ata Waiohua.
About the Te Kete Rukuruku programme
In 2017 Auckland Council launched the Te Kete Rukuruku programme, a culture and identity programme to collect and share the stories unique to Māori in Auckland. The programme is led by iwi, in partnership with the council and its local boards.
One component of this is a naming project which will see iwi and hapu names restored. In some cases, these names existed prior to the current names.
Short narratives explaining the significance of the names are also provided by mana whenua that explain the meaning and show the connection to the place being named.
It provides a way of protecting and returning the names and the rich mana whenua stories of Auckland – some of which have been lost over many years.
Find out more about Te Kete Rukuruku.
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