August 05, 2019
Geograhic Board too quick to add Ohakune macron
Ohakune-based iwi Ngāti Rangi has says the New Zealand Geographic Board has got it wrong in adding macrons to the town's name.
Che Wilson says the iwi had a meeting with the board during its treaty settlement negotiations to discuss several place name changes, but Ohakune wasn’t considered because it was already correct and didn’t need changing.
He says the Geographic Board failed to consult with Ngāti Rangi during the name change process, and it also ignored advice from the Māori language commission, Te Taura Whiri i te reo Māori.
The Ngāti Rangi history for the name comes from the phrase … e oha, ka oha, he Ohakune ki te ao.
As the tauparapara outlines, an opening to a new world originates from the transition when you descend from Ruapehu and come out of the forest to rich open grasslands and swamps – he ohakune ki te ao.
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