Wellington has Te Papa and Invercargill will soon have Te Unua – Museum of Southland.
And even Mayor Nobby Clark agrees with having the Maori name first, telling councillors at a meeting today that he hoped it all just become one name anyway.
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Giving the example of the National Museum of New Zealand, he said despite Te Papa Tongarewa written underneath the English, the country had embraced the Maori name.
“Because they have done some really clever marketing around that,” he said.
Councillors debated whether the museum should be called Te Unua – Museum of Southland or Te Unua – Southland Museum, but the first option was more popular.
Cr Ian Pottinger said it was important that they moved as quickly as possible to create a brand for the museum, “it’s one of those things you have to get right the first time.”
Mayor Clark said while he had some opposition in the past to Te Reo being used first ahead of English, he was running with it, “because the branding will make it.”
Cr Barry Stewart was the only one opposed to the name, preferring to keep it just as the Southland Museum.
Te Unua was the name proposed by mana whenua and gifted by Waihōpai Rūnaka and Te Rūnanga o Awarua, following the establishment of the Museum Governance Group (MGG).
The MGG were tasked with providing Council a “unique and compelling vision for the Invercargill Museum that will define the nature of the service for the community of Invercargill and solidify its role in the Southland region”.
The gifted name reflected the new vision for the museum and the nature of the service that was to be developed.
Te Unua refers to a double hulled, voyaging waka and in relationship to the project, it is a reflection of the dualities associated with the museum and its role in the community.
Council agreed at its June meeting to write to the four Runanga/Runaka to request feedback on whether to confirm or change the already gifted name (Te Unua) for the new Museum facility following presentation of the concept design.
Staff also sought Runanga/Runaka’s advice on whether the City should use Southland or Murihiku in the overall naming.
The advice from iwi was that the boundaries of Murihiku extended right into lower North Otago, and therefore overlaps with other South Island hapu and councils.