The power of the name
A partnership programme between tangata whenua and Auckland Council, Te Kete Rukuruku demonstrates the power of names in public spaces.
Since 2017, Te Kete Rukuruku has been transforming how visitors experience Auckland’s parks in Tāmaki Makaurau, by reconnecting the spaces with Māori stories and names.
The overarching storytelling programme is named for a finely woven kete containing kūmara and taro seeds. It was hand-carried by Whakaotirangi, the chieftainess of the Tainui and Te Arawa waka, throughout the sea voyage from Hawaiki to Aotearoa / New Zealand.
Te Kete Rukuruku collects, protects, and shares the unique stories of tangata whenua. This includes either returning traditional names or introducing new ones to parks and places, reflecting their cultural, historical, or ecological significance.
Where a park has an existing name, restoring or adding the Māori name creates a dual name, like Tiakina / Sister Rene Shadbolt Park. A sole Māori name is also sometimes adopted and this is considered on a case by case basis.
The names are unveiled at whakarewatanga community events, drawing together iwi, local boards, schools, and residents. They are then gazetted and published on the Auckland Council website.
So far, 10 iwi have contributed names for over 550 sites across Auckland. Stories and histories linked to these names are shared through interpretive signage, other media, and community events.
The end-to-end process involves local boards, iwi, and council staff, fostering trust and understanding.
Twenty bilingual interpretive signs have been installed in parks to date. The interp signs share the stories behind the names, and include QR codes linking to recordings of how the names are pronounced.
An ‘exemplar’ park in each local board goes a step further, with bilingual navigation and regulatory signage as well. Otherwise, to manage costs, signage bearing new names is developed during council infrastructure renewals.
Dawn Bardsley, Te Kete Rukuruku naming lead, says finding ways to make names and stories visible is challenging, as signage can be vandalised or not read. The programme has supported the creation of murals, books, art, and waiata that connect to local iwi and and the names and stories they wish to share.
In Kaipātiki, a suite of parks and even an outdoor classroom now bear Māori names with stories about local plants, animals, and history, inviting connection, learning, and reflection.
Dawn adds, “One of the many highlights of this kaupapa was from a local school after a whakarewatanga, when we were told their tamariki ‘had never felt so proud to be Māori’.
Te Kete Rukuruku demonstrates the power of names in public spaces, cultivating a sense of belonging and identity for Māori and all Aucklanders. It turns parks into classrooms and everyday walks into opportunities for discovery.
Read more
Whau park gifted dual Māori name - OurAuckland
Auckland celebrates 21 new te reo Māori names for significant sites