New Zealand wasn’t always called New Zealand. The first settlers named the Pacific island Aotearoa in the 14th century. Translated, this means “the land of the long white cloud”. Now the indigenous people want to re-establish this name.
The Maori party has filed a petition to officially rename the Pacific island Aotearoa. In addition, all cities and place names are to be given their original Maori names again by 2026. The party chairmen Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer wrote in a statement on Tuesday.
“It is long overdue for the Maori language (Te Reo Maori) to regain its rightful place as the first and official language of this country. We are a Polynesian country, we are Aotearoa, ”said Waititi.
Name change aims to promote Maori language
Since 1987 the Maori language has been the second official language alongside English. “A change of name would help to restore the status of our language,” said Ngarewa-Packer.
According to Ngarewa-Packer, the name “New Zealand” and the “imposition of a colonial agenda in the education system” have resulted in fewer and fewer Maori being able to speak their own language fluently. Many companies and government agencies are already using the name Aotearoa for the Pacific state.
New Zealand wouldn’t be the first country to change its name. The former Burma in southeast Asia was renamed Myanmar in 1989. Swaziland in the south of Africa has been called Eswatini since 2018. With the name changes, the countries wanted to leave memories of the colonial days behind.
Not everyone is enthusiastic about the Maori party idea
Vice Prime Minister Winston Peters criticized the name change plans. “This is simply a headline hunt, regardless of the cost to this country,” wrote the politician on Twitter.
Renaming would confuse trading partners at a time when exports are critical to our economic survival, Peters added.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, on the other hand, thinks it is a “positive thing” that the name Aotearoa is being used more and more frequently. “In my opinion, whether we change the law or not does not change the fact that New Zealand is increasingly called Aotearoa. (gin)