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Place naming

The New Zealand Geographic Board Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa has announced a range southwest of Rotorua is now officially named Te Horohoroinga-o-ngā-ringa-o-Kahumatamomoe.

The 6.4-kilometre flat-topped mountain range in the central North Island previously had no official name. Board Chairperson Anselm Haanen says there was strong local support for restoring its original Māori name, which was well known and used in oral tradition.

“The proposal was made by Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Kea Ngāti Tuara Trust, who are mana whenua” Mr Haanen says.

“We consulted on this proposal between November 2021 and February 2022. Of the 49 submissions we received, 46 were in favour of the proposal. Many spoke of their strong personal connection to the name”.

Mr Haanen says the Board actively encourages the use of original Māori names.

“We considered the length of the name, but ultimately concluded that its cultural and historic importance outweighs any concerns.”

The Board referred the change to the Minister for Land Information following its April hui. The Hon. Damien O’Connor made his final decision on 4 June 2022.

Find out more about Te Horohoroinga-o-ngā-ringa-o-Kahumatamomoe

Name changes for Fiordland features

Minister O’Connor’s decision on 4 June also accepted the Board’s recommendation to officially change the name of Mackinnon Pass on Milford Track. This is now Omanui / McKinnon Pass.

The pass, at the highest point on the Milford Track, is well-known to New Zealand outdoor recreationalists and international visitors.

The dual name corrects the spelling from Mackinnon to McKinnon – named after Quintin McPherson McKinnon (1851-1892) – and he had a significant association with the area as a surveyor, explorer and guide. The Board confirmed the correct spelling based on a signature on a hand-written note, and marriage and birth certificates.

The official dual name also adds Omanui, the original Māori name for the pass.

“Our legislation requires the Board to collect and encourage the use of original Māori names on official maps and charts. The pass was first identified and named Omanui by Ngāi Tahu, who used the Milford Track route to transport food from the fiords”.

“Applying a dual place name recognises the equal historical significance of both parts of the name,” Mr Haanen says.

The spelling has also been corrected for Lake Mackinnon, now Lake McKinnon, a small lake also within Fiordland National Park. Mr Haanen says there is no known historical Māori name for the lake.

Find out more about Omanui / McKinnon Pass and Lake McKinnon

Kua whakahokia te ingoa Māori o tētahi pae maunga o Te Ika-a-Māui, kua panonitia te ingoa ki Omanui / McKinnon Pass ki runga i te Ara o Milford

Kua puta te kōrero a te New Zealand Geographic Board Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa mō te whakamanahia o te ingoa o Te Horohoroinga-o-ngā-ringa-o-Kahumatamomoe, tētahi pae maunga kei te tonga-mā-uru o Rotorua.

Kāore he ingoa mana o te pae maunga toitoi papatahi e 6.4-kiromita nei tōna roa, e tū mai rā ki te Puku-o-te-Ika.  Hei tā te Toihau o te Poari a Anselm Haanen i kaha tautokohia e te hau kāinga te whakahoki ake i tōna ingoa Māori ake, he ingoa rongonui nō roto mai i ngā kōrero tuku iho. 

Hei tā Mr Haanen “I tāpaea mai te tono e te mana whenua e Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Kea Ngāti Tuara Trust”.

“I whakapā haere mātou ki te kimi whakaaro mō te tono i waenga o Whiringa-a-rangi me Huitanguru 2022. O ngā tāpaenga whakaaro e 49, e 46 i tautoko i te tono. He tokomaha i kōrero mō tō rātou hononga whaiaro ki te ingoa”.

I kī ake a Mr Haanen e āta whakahau ana te Poari kia whakamahia te ingoa Māori taketake ake. 

“I āta whakaarohia e mātou te roa o te ingoa, engari ko te whakatau i te otinga atu ko te hiranga ake o te ingoa taha ahurea, taha hītori i ngā māharahara ka ara ake. 

I tukua e te Poari i muri o tana hui o Paengawhāwhā te panonitanga ki te Minita Pārongo Whenua. Nō te 4 o Pipiri te whakatau whakamutunga a Hon. Damien O’Connor.

Panonitanga ingoa mō ētahi tārainga i Fiordland

I te whakatau a Minita O’Connor o te 4 o Pipiri ka whakaaehia anō te tūtohunga a te Poari kia mana te panonihia o te ingoa o Mackinnon Pass i te Ara o Milford. Ko Omanui / McKinnon Pass te ingoa ināianei.

E rongonui ana te āpiti kei te pito tiketike katoa o te Ara o Milford ki te hunga takahi taiao haere me ngā wae tāpoi o tāwāhi.  

Ka whakatikaina e te ingoa tōrua te tuhinga o Mackinnon kia McKinnon – i taunahatia ki a Quintin McPherson McKinnon (1851-1892) – me te hira o tōna hononga ki te takiwā hei kairūri, hei kaihōpara, hei kaiarahi. I whakaūngia e te Poari te tuhinga tika i runga i te waitohu i tētahi tuhinga ā-ringa, me ngā tiwhikete mārena, whānautanga anō.

Kua tāpirihia ki te ingoa tōrua a Omanui, te ingoa Māori ake o te āpiti. 

“E whakahau ana tā mātou ture kia kohia e te Poari, kia whakahau anō kia whakamahia te ingoa Māori taketake ki ngā mahere me ngā tūtohi mana. I tautuhia tuatahitia te āpiti me te taunahatia ko Omanui e Ngāi Tahu, i takahi nei i te Ara o Milford ki te kawe kai i ngā tai matapari”.

Hei tā Mr Haanen, “Mā te ingoa tōrua e mana ai te hiranga ōrite o te kōrero tuku iho o ngā wāhanga e rua o te ingoa”.

Kua whakatikaina anō te tuhinga o Lake Mackinnon, kua Lake McKinnon, he roto iti kei roto anō i te Fiordland National Park.

E kī ana a Mr Haanen kāore he ingoa Māori ake mō te roto e mōhiotia ana.

KA MUTU

Background and further information

  • The New Zealand Geographic Board Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa is an independent statutory body. We are supported and administered by Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand.
  • Anyone may propose a name for a geographic feature or place. We use naming guidelines, standards, and international good practice for standardised, consistent, and accurate naming, to help us make robust and enduring decisions.
  • We consult with relevant agencies, local communities, stakeholders, and iwi. We research all proposals and where possible encourage the use of original Māori names.
  • Once official, place names must be used in all official documents, like road signs, maps, web sites and databases.
  • Information about official and recorded place names is available in the New Zealand Gazetteer.

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