Marlborough place names tell story
While place names like
‘To¯ taranui’ (Queen Charlotte Sound) and ‘Meretoto’ (Ship Cove) have made headway in the Marlborough lexicon, what about the roads, or bays, less travelled?
Could you place Punaruawhiti or Anahou on a map?
As the Tuia 250 flotilla finally reaches Marlborough on Thursday, as part of its 75-day voyage around New Zealand, one man is honouring the dual heritage commemorations with a ‘‘special map’’.
To¯ taranui 250 trustee Peter Jerram has worked to ‘‘reignite’’ dual naming of the Marlborough Sounds, by creating a map of
To¯ taranui/queen Charlotte Sound, which outlines dozens of bays with Ma¯ ori names and meanings that were in place when Cook arrived, along with the names given by Cook.
The map also lists some names traced back to the earlier visit of navigator Kupe – the first Polynesian to discover the islands of New Zealand.
‘‘It’s a one-off, a commemorative map that will give people an idea of the history,’’ Jerram said.
The fleet of six historical vessels will sail into the Marlborough Sounds on Thursday, stopping for commemorations at Meretoto/ Ship Cove. A po¯ whiri welcoming ceremony will take place, led by representatives of four tangata whenua iwi; Nga¯ ti Apa ki te Ra¯ To¯ , Nga¯ ti Kuia, Rangita¯ ne o Wairau and Te A¯ ti Awa o Te Waka-a-ma¯ ui.
Tuia 250 is the name given to commemorate 250 years since the first onshore encounter between Ma¯ ori and Pa¯ keha¯ . It aims to encourage debate and reflection and encourage a balanced telling of a shared
Ma¯ ori and Pa¯ keha¯ history.
Jerram said he created the map using historical records and sources such as the Ma¯ ori
dictionary, cross checking with knowledge from iwi members of the To¯ taranui 250 Trust. The map would be available for purchase in Picton over the weekend.
Ma¯ori historian Dr Peter Meihana said it was a preference and priority of tangata whenua, that original names were placed back on maps.
‘‘We didn’t have a written language as such, however our history was partly retold in the naming of the land.
‘‘The land could actually be read in a similar way to a book,’’ Meihana said.
Looking at the coastal landscape, the name of Kupe featured prominently, Meihana said.
Cape Jackson, a thin fingerlike peninsula of land in the outer Sounds, is called Te Taonuia-kupe in te reo Ma¯ori, which means Kupe’s big spear.
Cloudy Bay is called Te Kokoa-kupe, or ‘the place that was scooped out, or formed by, Kupe’.
Arapaoa Island on the eastern boundary of To¯taranui/queen Charlotte Sound translates to downward blow – the killing blow Kupe delivered to Te Wheke o Muturangi to end their struggle. ‘‘Those original names help to establish how tangata whenua got to be here,’’ Meihana said.
‘‘By removing those names, you are in effect erasing the history of the first people.’’
In his lifetime, Meihana had seen a ‘‘shift’’ as society increasingly took to using Ma¯ ori names and using correct pronunciation. ‘‘To say place names how they should be said, is normalising te reo Ma¯ ori.
‘‘If you hear someone attempting to pronounce a te reo Ma¯ori name properly, what they’re telling you is they place value in your worldview.’’