Urupounamu hosts Ngairo Eruera, Justine Murray and Te Kehukehu Patara. Photo: RNZ/Justine Murray
Do you have a Māori name but choose to use a random English name because it is more convenient?
In this weeks episode of Urupounamu hosts Justine Murray, Ngairo Eruera and Te Kehukehu Patara discuss the responses to this question on the social media platforms of Moana Radio in Tauranga. The question was asked whether people used a different name when ordering takeaways on the phone, the response was instant and apparently it is 'a thing'.
The common theme was that instead of putting up with people butchering their name, having to repeat their names or even spelling it out, most opted to use an easy-to-pronounce English name.
Some responses on the Moana Radio Facebook confessed to using names like Jim, Hoha, Shaniqua or even Batman.
While there is jest in some of the answers, the hosts bring to light issues around why people would choose convenience rather than educating others to pronounce their names correctly, and they also discuss the anglisication of personal names that occured in the native schools.
Urupounamu is a kōrero session on kaupapa effecting Māori and focused on the tangata whenua experience in this forever changing modern world. RNZ Producer Justine Murray, Māori Language Kaiako, Ngairo Eruera, and Moana Radio host Te Kehukehu Patara, analyse social media responses, lay their whakaaro on the tēpu, challenge each other and themselves. Urupounamu will feature as a regular series on Te Ahi Kaa, it is recorded in the studio at Moana Radio station in Tauranga and is available as a podcast.
Te Kehukehu Patara Photo: RNZ/Justine Murray
Te Kehukehu Patara (Ngai te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui) is a host of the daily te reo Māori show Te Pae Moana on Moana Radio, a former crane operator at the Tauranga port for many years, he is a native speaker and has travelled the world with his superstar surfer grandson Kehu Butler. He enjoys spending time with his whanau, and still loves to surf.
Ngairo Eruera Photo: RNZ/Justine Murray
Ngairo Eruera (Ngāti Ranginui, Tuhoe, Ngāti Awa) is a Māori language kaiako and consultant at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa and Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato, he is a member of the Waikato based kapahaka group Te Iti Kahurangi and after spending 20+ years in the Waikato moved back home to live with his whānau in Katikati. He enjoys working around home and in the māra, researching tribal and local history and working within communities to enhance communal knowledge.
Justine Murray Photo: RNZ/Justine Murray
Justine Murray (Ngai te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui) is the producer and presenter of Te Ahi Kaa the weekly kaupapa Māori programme at RNZ. Justine began her career in Iwi radio as a Journalist, announcer, copywriter and programme director, she is a writer, poet and is in her third year of studies at Te Whare Wānanga o Te Awanuiārangi in Whakatane. Justine enjoys spending time with whanau.
