Kamo or Te Kamo?Mana whenua seeking township name change
| Author | Liam Rātana |
| Published date | 10 April 2021 |
| Date | 10 April 2021 |
“Even though Kamo is a simple name, it often gets mangled,” said Huhana Lyndon, who has whakapapa links to Te Kahu o Torongare.
“We’re trying to change the name to get the right pronunciation of the word being used and also to remember a traditional story about an ancestor of the place,” local kaumātua Richard (Dick) Shepherd said.
The initiative has the backing of Whangārei District Mayor Sheryl Mai, who says changing the name would likely encourage correct pronunciation and also raise awareness around the history of the place.
“I’d question whether or not it’s a change or more of a correction of the name ... As a local community, understanding the reason why places are named the way they are and having an understanding of the history is a really important step in the process of getting place names correct,” Mai said.
“If steps like this encourage correct pronunciation and acknowledgment of the history behind the name, then that’s a win.”
Interestingly, according to Land Information New Zealand, Kamo is not an official name and the township has never been given an official name.
“I had a look on the Land Information New Zealand website and saw that Kamo isn’t actually an official name. There’s never been an official naming of the place, so I’m encouraged by that,” Mai said.
Although the initiative is said to also have the support of local schools, Kamo Community Incorporated chairman Colin Twyman expects there will be resistance from some in the community.
“A general concern of people I’ve spoken with in Kamo is how far do we go with making sure we are culturally correct,” Twyman said.
“Everything seems to be getting names that we cannot connect with, particularly the older generation. We’ve known Kamo as Kamo for years.”
Mai acknowledged there were difficulties that came with such initiatives, but hoped the community would grow to accept the new name, should it be adopted.
“I understand that when people know a place and call it by a name, it’s actually really hard to correct yourself, even if the name has been formally changed ... I imagine some people will continue to call it Kamo but, over time, there will be an acceptance that the correct name is Te Kamo,” Mai said.
According to Shepherd, Te Kamo was once a prominent leader in the area. Shepherd says Te Kamo’s pā site, Te Rauponga, was situated on the grass area behind the Kamo War...
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