Will New Zealand change its name?
yon a new name to draw a line under the colonial past. Te Pati Maori, a New Zealand political party representing the indigenous people of Polynesia, has successfully campaigned to rename New Zealand to “Aotearoa”, which means New Zealand in the Maori language. A petition to rename the country has garnered 70,000 signatures, according to reports slate. This mobilization should be enough to challenge Parliament.
This proposal had already been passed in 2021. According to party co-leader Debi Ngariwa Packer, it could have a positive impact on national identity. “It will be a source of great pride for future generations. We must strive to preserve our culture, our language and our well-being,” he pleaded in an interview with NPR. In addition to the name change, Te Pati Māori is also working to reintroduce the Māori language in New Zealand.
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Flag change
Baptized ‘Statenland’ and then ‘Nova Zealandia’ by Dutch settlers, New Zealand has always held a strong identity and now the locals want an end to this colonial past. “Our country is the last to be colonised, it is time to transcend what many other colonies have gone through before us and restore our national identity,” says Debbie Ngariwa Packer, who hopes to gain support among the youth.
In the past, New Zealanders have already tried to change the flag. In 2015, the government proposed getting rid of the “Union Jack” on its flag, which the United Kingdom had imposed on its colonies. After a costly referendum, the country finally kept its colors.
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