After reading through the outrage, I decided to do a little digging myself. I headed over to Whakiri, a directory of Māori-owned businesses. I only had time to look at Auckland, but the question quickly became obvious. What do these Māori-owned business names have in common?
The Box – CrossFit Waitakere
Trade Jobs NZ
Cover Up
Nexus Electrical Ltd
Trade Credit Customer Management Platform
Property Scouts Manukau
Collaboration House
One Fit Hire
Inside Out Cleaners
Critical
Brandistry
Native Media
Head Cases Hair Salon
Child Advocacy New Zealand
ITraffic
Arc Evolution Steel
Accurate Plasterboards
Rose Makeup and Beauty
Auckland Garden Services
I’ll make it easy for you. They are almost all English names.
These are Māori-owned businesses operating in New Zealand, yet there is hardly any te reo Māori being used in their branding at all. You can look for yourself at https://www.whariki.co.nz/whariki-directory-new and see how many te reo Māori business names jump out at you. It’s not many, if any.
So that raises an obvious question. If the use of Māori words in business names is so sacred, so protected, and apparently so offensive when used by the “wrong” people, why are Māori business owners themselves overwhelmingly choosing English names?
I looked even further, and something else stood out.
What do these Māori-owned businesses have in common?
Trade Jobs NZ
Cover Up
Nexus Electrical Ltd
Trade Credit Customer Management Platform
Property Scouts Manukau
Collaboration House
One Fit Hire
Inside Out Cleaners
Critical
Brandistry
Native Media
Head Cases Hair Salon
Child Advocacy New Zealand
ITraffic
Arc Evolution Steel
Accurate Plasterboards
Rose Makeup and Beauty
Auckland Garden Services
I’ll make it easy for you. They are almost all English names.
These are Māori-owned businesses operating in New Zealand, yet there is hardly any te reo Māori being used in their branding at all. You can look for yourself at https://www.whariki.co.nz/whariki-directory-new and see how many te reo Māori business names jump out at you. It’s not many, if any.
So that raises an obvious question. If the use of Māori words in business names is so sacred, so protected, and apparently so offensive when used by the “wrong” people, why are Māori business owners themselves overwhelmingly choosing English names?
I looked even further, and something else stood out.
What do these Māori-owned businesses have in common?
Pizza Presto
Pici Pasta
House of de Loree
Coco’s Cantina
Sweet Azz Hawaiian BBQ
These businesses are borrowing words from other languages altogether. Italian. French. Spanish. Hawaiian. No outrage. No pile-ons. No accusations of cultural theft. No demands for koha or public apologies.
Matua Kahurangi is just a bloke sharing thoughts on New Zealand and the world beyond. No fluff, just honest takes. He blogs on https://matuakahurangi.com/ where this article was sourced.
Pici Pasta
House of de Loree
Coco’s Cantina
Sweet Azz Hawaiian BBQ
These businesses are borrowing words from other languages altogether. Italian. French. Spanish. Hawaiian. No outrage. No pile-ons. No accusations of cultural theft. No demands for koha or public apologies.
Matua Kahurangi is just a bloke sharing thoughts on New Zealand and the world beyond. No fluff, just honest takes. He blogs on https://matuakahurangi.com/ where this article was sourced.
8 comments:
When is the long - suffering NZ tax payer going to demand an end to the infinite payment for everything under the sun to (part) Maori? Or, are they too busy generating the funds?
This must have and end-point or financial /economic ruin will be in sight.
They only moan when they sense an opportunity for a shakedown. We already had the grovelling apology. Next will be a donation and perhaps a simpering follow-up article on the sinner's atonement and eventual journey to redemption.
The biggest mistake the CEO made was apologizing to the mob.
Language is free and no one owns a language.
You cannot force people to use a language as much as to ban its use.
By apologizing to the mob, she is accepting and legitimizing their own bigotry and surrendering her own freedom of expression and speech.
Personally, I would have told them they are full of "tutai" and "taniwhas" of their own medieval demise.
Every human being is cultural appropriating , we all are enjoying the benefits of everything invented in whatever country , maori need to understand they’re not special .
Let's not forget that under Ardern, businesses had to have 5-8% Maori shareholding to apply for Government contracts.
Not sure that Luxon has the gonads to have stopped that entirely - i suspect that " Maori " businesses still get preferential treatment.
Thats only some of the undeniable official apartheid in NZ.
Let’s be honest
If they were paid enough there would be Maori branded cigarettes
Completely unacceptable until $ amount is reached 🤦♂️
Wonder why Maori don't take the same stance on "Aotearoa"? BTW, we have for some time been actively avoiding working with any businesses that spoils their brand with gushy made-up Maori wrap-arounds.
I strenuously avoid businesses which greet or address me in false te reo, or sign off with it.
And I tell them to give me respect .
Thats why i don't fly Air Aotearoa anymore.
The Vodafone CEO babbles away in te reo, and says he doesn't care if customers don't stay with Vodafone.
Shareholders should tell woke management to stop as it's hurting their returns.
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