Scottish PR agency’s Ma¯ori name
A Scottish public relations agency with a Ma¯ ori name, Korero, is walking the tight rope between cultural appropriation and paying respect to a culture, a Ma¯ ori academic says.
Company owner Alison Ellis said when she set up her business in 2014, she wanted to break away from the traditional one-way communication of public relations.
On the website there is no mention of ko¯ rero being a Ma¯ ori word.
However there is a definition below the word, sans macron and broken up into three syllables, that says ‘‘a meeting, gathering or discussion’’.
‘‘People now expect their interactions with brands to be personal and want companies and business leaders to be more accessible,’’ Ellis said.
‘‘With that in mind, I started looking for a name that would reflect that approach and Korero sums it up perfectly.’’
Senior lecturer in Ma¯ ori studies at Auckland University of Technology Dr Ella Henry said Ellis was walking a thin line between paying cultural respect and cultural appropriation.
‘‘I, as a Ma¯ori and academic, would urge her to err on the side of cultural respect and learn about the word she has appropriated,’’ Henry said.
‘‘Ma¯ ori have a role – increasingly in recent years – to walk the line [between cultural appropriation and paying respect] and help those who want to walk that line with us to better understand our language, how our language is tied to our culture, and how that culture is unique to this place.
‘‘It makes us so special that a woman visiting from the other side of the world is captured by it.
‘‘So there is something special there and all New Zealanders who understand and accept that responsibility and respect it is a positive thing,’’ Henry said.
Ellis said she had visited New Zealand twice and spent several months travelling around the North and South Islands, as well as worked at a brand agency in Auckland.
Ma¯ori trademarks adviser Karaitiana Taiuru said while cultural appropriation of Ma¯ ori words had become normalised by New Zealand businesses, this particular case was an exception as it was just a ‘‘day-to-day word and not a sacred word that shouldn’t be used’’.
Taiuru said the use of ko¯ rero was a sign of the changing attitude towards the language with it becoming more popular and normalised.
He said the use of the word by an overseas company showed the language was growing in popularity.
‘‘There was no acknowledgement of ko¯rero being a Ma¯ori word on their website.
‘‘I’m not too sure about their translation, personally I wouldn’t say gathering. I would define ko¯ rero to mean talking or discussion.’’
Tairuru said he would be concerned if the company tried to trademark the word as a name for the company.
‘‘It’s inappropriate to take ownership of the word, in terms of Ma¯ ori, because we don’t believe in ownership of a word,’’ he said.
But over the past 20 years there had been more appreciation and knowledge about paying respect to Ma¯ ori culture, Taiuru said.
A trend which had been driven by the internet, he said.
Ellis said most of Korero’s clients were in Scotland, Britain and Norway, but she hoped to also work with New Zealand businesses.
Some examples of cultural appropriation:
❚ A French supermarket chain, Auchan, which used the haka to promote its in-store sales, was slammed for being ‘‘offensive’’, ‘‘desperate’’ and ‘‘ignorant’’.
❚ The K-Pop band NCT 127 was forced to apologise for not consulting Ma¯ori before using a haka in their music video last year.
❚ Earlier this year Fonterra was accused of appropriating Ma¯ ori culture by naming a cheese after a Ka¯ piti chief.
❚ A Harcourts ad was labelled ‘‘culturally offensive’’ for suggesting an iconic East Coast marae was for sale.