Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa New Zealand Geographic Board announces today that the Whangārei suburb of Kamo has been renamed Te Kamo.
Board Chairperson Anselm Haanen says the proposal to make Te Kamo official was made by Ngāti Kahu-o-Torongare and several hapū to better honour the rangatira/tupuna it was named for. Their historical narratives refer to Te Kamo as a notable leader and ancestor in the area.
“The original name of the land and kāinga (village) was Te Kamo, and we can see this reflected in the record of the Crown’s purchase of the ‘Te Kamo’ block in 1858,” says Mr Haanen.
“In the years since the name has been unofficially shortened to ‘Kamo’. So this decision restores and raises awareness of the history of the name and corrects a grievance of mana whenua that the name is spelled incorrectly.”
Information provided by the proposers states Te Kamo was a leader who worked behind the scenes to guide hapū alongside other rangatira. He worked hard to ensure his people living at Te Kamo were safe and prosperous.
“In te reo Maōri the word ‘Te’ is often used to elevate the status and mana of a person. It is just as an important part of a name as the Scottish ‘Mac’ in ‘MacDonald’, for example,” says Mr Haanen.
Minister for Land Information, Damien O’Connor, confirmed the Board’s decision to alter the name.
Official documents will need to use Te Kamo. This includes road signs referring to ‘Kamo’, which can be updated with ‘Te Kamo’ as they age and are replaced as part of regular maintenance.
About Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa
Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa New Zealand Geographic Board is an independent statutory body. The Board is supported and administered by Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand.
Anyone may propose a name for a geographic feature or place. The Board uses naming guidelines and standards and follows international good practice to help it to make informed, robust and enduring decisions.
The Board recognises the importance of pronunciation in te reo, and macrons support both pronunciation and meaning. Therefore, the Board follows the orthographic conventions of Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (Māori Language Commission).
If the Board doesn't agree with a proposal, it may consult on a different proposal considered to be more appropriate.
The Board consults with relevant agencies, local communities, councils, stakeholders and iwi. It researches all proposals and encourages original Māori place names.
Official place names must be used in all official documents like road signs, maps, websites, databases and publications for tourists.
Anyone can make a submission on proposed place names, either online or by emailing nzgbsubmissions@linz.govt.nz, or by mailing directly to the Board’s Secretariat.
Official and recorded place names can be searched in the New Zealand Gazetteer.
Media contact
Email: media@linz.govt.nz
Ko Te Kamo te ingoa ināianei o Kamo, paenoho i Whangārei
Kua pānuihia e Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa i te rangi nei te taunahatia anō o Kamo, paenoho i Whangārei, ki Te Kamo.
Ko te kōrero a te Toihau o te Poari a Anselm Haanen, nā Ngāti Kahu-o-Torongare me ētahi hapū maha te tono kia mana te ingoa o Te Kamo e pai ake ai te whakahōnoretia o te rangatira/tupuna i taunahatia ki a ia. E kī ana ā rātou kōrero tuku iho he rangatira, he tupuna rongonui a Te Kamo i te takiwā.
Hei tā Mr Haanen, “Ko te ingoa ake o te whenua me te kāinga ko Te Kamo, ka mutu, ka kitea tēnei i ngā kōrero mō te hoko a te Karauna i te pito whenua o ‘Te Kamo’ i te tau 1858.”
“I roto i ngā tau kua whakapotoa noatia te ingoa kia ‘Kamo’. Nō reira i tēnei whakatau kua whakahokia tōna ingoa ake, kua whakaohotia anō ngā hītori o te ingoa, kua whakatikaina hoki tētahi mamae o te mana whenua mō te hē o te tuhia o te ingoa.”
E kī ana ngā kōrero i tāpaea ake e ngā kaitono he rangatira a Te Kamo i mahi i muri ki te ārahi i ngā hapū i te taha o ētahi atu rangatira. I pukumahi ia kia noho haumaru, kia noho tōnui tūturu tana iwi e noho ana i Te Kamo.
Hei tā Mr Haanen anō, “Ka whakamahia te kupu ‘Te’ i te ingoa reo Māori ki te hāpai ake i te mana o te tangata. Hei tauira, e rite ana tōna hiranga ki te kupu ‘Mac’ o te ingoa ‘MacDonald’ o Kotarangi.”
I whakaūngia e te Minita mō Toitū Te Whenua e Damien O’Connor te whakatau a te Poari kia whakarerekētia te ingoa.
Me mātua whakamahi ko Te Kamo ki ngā tuhinga mana, tae atu ki ngā tohu huarahi mō ‘Kamo’ ka taea te whakahou ki ‘Te Kamo’ ina tawhito haere, ina whakahoungia i ngā mahi whakatika haere.
Kōrero mō Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa
He rōpū motuhake ā-ture a Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa. E tautokohia ana, e whakahaeretia ana te Poari e Toitū Te Whenua.
E āhei ana te tangata noa ki te tono ingoa mō tētahi tārainga matawhenua, tētahi wāhi rānei. Ka whai te Poari i ētahi aratohu taunaha, ētahi paerewa, me ngā tikanga mahi papai o te ao hei āwhina i a ia ki te whakatau i runga i te mōhio, e pakari ai, e mauroa ai tāna i whakatau ai.
E mōhio ana te Poari ki te hiranga o te whakahua i te reo, ka tautoko hoki te tohutō i te whakahuatanga me te tikanga o te kupu. Nō reira, ka whai te Poari i ngā tikanga tuhi a Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori.
Ki te kore te Poari e whakaae ki tētahi tono, e āhei ana ia ki te whakapā haere mō tētahi atu tono e whakapono ana ia ka hāngai ake.
Ka whakapā haere te Poari ki ngā umanga e hāngai ana, ki ngā hapori o te hau kāinga, ki ngā kaunihera, ki te hunga whai wāhi me te iwi. Ka rangahaua e ia ngā tono katoa, ka whakahau hoki kia takoto ko te ingoa wāhi Māori ake.
Me mātua whakamahi ko te ingoa wāhi mana ki ngā tuhinga mana katoa pērā i te tohu huarahi, te mahere whenua, te paetukutuku, te putunga raraunga me ngā whakaputanga mā te tūruhi.
E āhei ana te tangata noa ki te tuku whakaaro mai mō te ingoa wāhi kua tonoa, me tāpae mai ā-tuihono me īmēra tika mai rānei ki te Tokomatua o te Poari.
Ka taea te rapu ngā ingoa mana ngā ingoa rānei kua takoto i te New Zealand Gazetteer.
Kaiwhakapā pāpāho
Īmēra: media@linz.govt.nz