June 02, 2022
Aotearoa petition gets 70,000 signatures
A 70,000-signature petition calling for Aotearoa to become the official name for the country has been presented to Parliament.
The petition was launched by Te Pāti Māori during last year’s Te Wiki o te Reo Māori.
It also calls for te reo Māori names to be restored for all towns, cities and place names.
Party co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer says there is a new generation of Tangata Whenua and Tangata Tiriti who want to see themselves reflected in the country’s identity, and the status quo is no longer consistent with who we are as a nation.
She says if the Dutch can change the name of their country from Holland to the Netherlands, there is no reason for Aotearoa to continue being saddled with a Dutch name.