New Zealand could change its name soon

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After a fierce campaign, Te Patti Maori, Political party Which represents the indigenous Polynesians of New Zealand, collected 70,000 signatures As part of a petition to change the country’s name to “Aotearoa” (“New Zealand” in Maori).

This number would be enough to force Parliament to reconsider the proposed change, first enacted in 2021, Quartz Explains. The party also called for the restoration of all original Maori city names by 2026.

Changing New Zealand’s name will have positive consequences for the country’s national identity, Te Pati Māori co-leader Debbie Ngariwa Packer argues, In a recent interview awarded to NPR. It will be a source of great pride for future generationsAnd the She completes. We must strive to preserve our culture, our language and our well-being.”

In recent years, the party has attempted to reintroduce the Maori language in several ways. In 2018, the country’s Waste Management Department set up multilingual recycling bins in some cities; In 2020, the Geographical Commission of New Zealand (Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa), responsible for naming places, agreed to add approximately 400 Maori names in the region. It was also decided to correct misspelled Maori names and introduce signs Diacritics To make their pronunciation easier.

Draw a line under the colonial past

In the mid-1980s, New Zealand became a British colony. Dutch explorer Abd Tasman is said to be the first Westerner to set foot on an island in the South Pacific. In 1642, the island was called “Staten Landt” (“Land of the States”, in Dutch). Subsequently, Dutch cartographers renamed it “Nova Zeelandia”, in reference to the region of Zeeland in the west of the Netherlands.

This is not the first time that New Zealanders have tried to shake off the remnants of colonialism. In 2015, the government launched a public design competition to find an alternative to the state flag, which is distinguished by the Union hat – a standard imposed by the United Kingdom on its colonies and territories. After a referendum that cost $17 million (a similar amount in euros), New Zealanders have finally chosen to maintain the status quo.

The proposed law on changing the island’s name caused quite a stir. Debi Ngariwa Packer says she hopes to gain support from the country’s youth. “I have good hope, I told NPR. Our country is the last to be colonised, it is time to move beyond what many other colonies have gone through before us and restore our national identity.