March 05, 2024
Bird calls as mana whenua get naming rights
Parks across in south Auckland are getting Māori names that revive stories which were nearly lost to colonisation and urbanisation.
The 21 name changes are part of the 2020 Te Kete Rukuruku programme, where local boards work with mana whenua groups to Auckland to rename parks and council buildings.
Ōtara-Papatoetoe chair Apulu Reece Autagavaia says his board worked with Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua, Ngāti Tamaoho and Te Ākitai Waiohua.
He says the story of Hayman Park’s Māori name – Manu-kau Noa Iho – stood out for him.
“The Tainui waka was portaged overland and they heard all these noises. They thought they were people only to find out they were birds. That’s what Manu-kau Noa Iho translates to, this is what mana whenua have told us, it’s only just birds, so I think that’s a really great way to capture so many things,” Mr Autagavaia says.
Manu-kau Noa Iho-Hayman Park and 17 other parks will have dual names, while Colin Dale Park and Puhinui Reserve near the airport will be renamed as Puhinui and Motatau Park in Papatoetoe will be renamed Poro-toetoe