Just leave Kamo’s name alone
I woke up the other morning trying to get my head around a bad dream.
Front page news of the Advocate
— Mana Whenua seeking a name change of Kamo to Te Kamo (Saturday, April 10). Mayor Mai pitching in with an abstruse argument that knowing the history of a place helps in correct pronunciation.
The history given was about as offputting as you could wish, and I cannot understand why knowing about an instance of extreme violence and cruelty could ever help anyone pronounce any name more correctly. Besides how do you say “Kamo” other than “Kamo?”
The motivated claimant to be mana whenua in this case is Hu¯ hana Melanie Lyndon. Ms Lyndon is the CEO of the Ngati Hine Forestry Trust. Ms Lyndon has an impressive CV. Kei te pai. However te rohe o Ngati Hine, that is their iwi home turf, is generally accepted as being¯centred round Kawakawa, with Otiria Marae their premier marae.
Now all this lies within the local body administration of Far North District Council, which does kinda clash with Kamo being well within the administration Whanga¯ rei District Council. Ms Lyndon does cite a local hapu¯ connection, but to be frank such connections may range far and wide. So her claim to be “mana whenua” is more than a little presumptive considering Nga¯ ti Wai, Nga¯ ti Wha¯ tua, Nga¯ ti Raumati, Nga¯ ti Ta¯ huhu, Te Parawhau, Patuharakeke, Nga¯ ti¯ Kahului Nga¯ ti Manuhiri and Te Akitai, all have at least, and probably more right to claim mana whenua.
Finally there just happens to be a few thousand Pa¯ keha¯ living in and around Kamo, who would be quite happy for Ms Lyndon and co to quit all this unnecessary, unedifying posturing. Kamo’s for me, Kamo’s for me! Remember that on the radio?
GM Tinker Whanga¯rei
Nurses under stress
I would like to start by congratulating the Northland District Health Board on the efficiency of ward one at the Whanga¯ rei Base Hospital, but was disturbed at the stress those nurses are under because of the work hours and shortage of staff — but they are a cheerful lot. One nurse even said she was always disappointed when she got her pay envelope as to how little money she received for the hours she worked.
If Jacinda Ardern or Grant Robertson could just spend one hour of their time between the recovery room to the wards hopefully conditions might improve.
If any one of the public has any concerns about being a patient at the Whanga¯ rei Hospital then they should dismiss them at once. From the surgeon and his team, to the anaesthetist, to the recovery room, to the ward, the care is unbelievable, plus the food. Thank you Whanga¯ rei Hospital and your staff for a very pleasant stay. A good hospital.