A new book outlines the Māori history of the South Island’s west coast, rejuvenating an almost lost history.
Released yesterday, Paul Madgwick’s new book Poutini – The Ngāi Tahu History of the West Coast delves into the pūrākau related to the region, as well as the local history and kōrero surrounding pounamu and the gold rushes of the 1860s.
Madgwick says this book will help revive a history that is increasingly recognized, especially with the rise of dual place names in the South Island since the Ngāi Tahu Treaty Settlement in 1997.
“So we have some dual names that were agreed to in that but that was a different era. You know, that was 30-odd years ago now, and we were only allowed a certain number of these dual names. But there are an awful hundreds and hundreds of other names that have been erased and replaced by general European names,” says Madgwick.
