Taranaki abbreviation ‘causing hurt’
Te ao Ma¯ori advocates have called on burger giant McDonald’s to immediately stop using packaging containing an offensive abbreviation for Taranaki.
The company’s Angus burger boxes contain a blurb about the beef it uses, and that it is made into patties in ‘‘The ‘Naki’’.
Use of the abbreviation is common in both business names and everyday language in Taranaki, despite it being well publicised that many Ma¯ori find the shortened word offensive and disrespectful of their values.
In an emailed response to questions, McDonald’s spokesman Simon Kenny said a complaint about the abbreviation was first raised with the company in December, following a story about Coca-Cola Amatil being criticised for using the term in a marketing campaign.
Kenny said McDonald’s immediately updated the artwork to remove the reference, and ordered new packaging. However, burger boxes printed before the complaint would continue to
be used until they ran out. ‘‘We are forecast to run out of the existing stock nationally within the next few weeks, with restaurants moving to new packaging.’’
Members of Taranaki’s Te ao Ma¯ ori advocacy group Rongomou Community Action made further complaints to McDonald’s on Monday after seeing the packaging.
They have called on the multi-national burger giant to take a lead from Coke and stop using the packaging immediately.
In December, following criticism for its use of ‘Naki on products and promotional material, Coke quickly apologised and withdrew the offending items.
Kenny said the burger packaging was produced in large volumes and because lead times for packaging were generally six to nine months, new versions couldn’t be introduced straight away.
There was also a sustainability consideration to dumping large volumes of packaging if they did not use the packing already printed with the abbreviation.
Kenny said McDonald’s had worked to increase the use of te reo Ma¯ ori in its restaurants and was consulting with Te Taura Whiri, the Ma¯ ori Language Commission, on the best ways to support campaigns and objectives.
However, Rongomou member Puna Wano-Bryant said she doubted the company had consulted beforehand in this instance as Te Taura Whiri would have warned against the term’s use.
Using environmental concerns as an excuse was invalid, she said, because if McDonald’s had consulted properly, there would have been no packaging to dump anyway.
‘‘They [McDonald’s] were aware that it was incorrect but continued to use the packaging, which is disappointing.’’
Fellow Rongomou member Dan Lander, who posted a picture of the packaging on Instagram and complained to the company via Facebook messenger on Monday, said he was also angry at the ongoing use.
‘‘Is it acceptable to know there’s a problem, to know that it’s causing hurt and continue using it? I don’t think so.’’
Taranaki is the name of the region’s mountain, which is considered an ancestor by Ma¯ ori, and to shorten its name is ‘‘racist’’ and ‘‘a crass, lazy and meaningless abbreviation,’’ Lander said.