It is good to see that any Maori language is be used in its' true context,

However it is always going to be a good argument for all

A long way from home and visit every know and again, we both love it.

Kia ora e hoa ma.

If U R serious to know about my submission to reinstate Te Wai Pounamu as being an island which is not Aotearoa – the submission has been published as two titles. These are reclaiming the South Island's assigned name – Te Wai Pounamu and How the New Zealand Government lost its Maori names: Aotearoa me Te Wai Pounamu (North and South islands) and Kawanatanga o Nui Tireni ( Government of New Zealand). These are available in most university libraries and many public libraries. The most important part of my submission was Maori Language literature written and published by Maori. In their wisdom the Geographic Board disregard this evidence from 150 yrs of Maori literature.

No reira Tena tatou Keith Darroch

Only SOME Maori called the islands Aotearoa - which started out as a name for the North Island only among some of the iwi. Who is to say (for example)a Ngapuhi word has precedent over a Ngati Kahungunu, Ngai Tahu, or any other Iwi's, big or small, word for the Islands? This is ony personal, but I think they should be called whatever people like to call them, as has been the case for centuries. The "official" Maori names could be put to the vote among Maori.

notice that non maori are commenting on how maori will react to this. Maori have always called this land Aotearoa, Te Ika a Maui has always been and so has Te Waipounamu...isn't it about time people learnt the history of this country. Maybe if this was taught in schools we wouldn't have this problem of people fearing the use of Maori place names as they will be able to pronounce them correctly

Deciding which Maori name to use will have its own problems, as there were more than one - called different things by different peoples. Cook also named the islands "Tavai Poe Nammoo" and "Eahei No Mauwe". It does in a print I have from 1780 anyway. Another copy of which is here: http://www.antiqueprintroom.com/catalogue/view-raw-image?id=1bd38711242f9580ba7f951be3d5e55e Incidentally, the wrong cape got named Terawhiti in the map (it still has the wrong name). These things are all over the country.

Imagine a tiny little country in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Its name is New Friesland (named after the Dutch province, though they have little ties to the Netherlands). Their nation consists of two islands: the East Island and the West Island.

I would think the country was pretty confused and borderline retarded.

Oh please, please, please don't use the other English names. Imagine if you live in New Plymouth, New Ulster, New Zealand.

Also, the Maori names are a bit long. Te Wai Pounamu is a bit big.

Now - 'North' and 'South' are short, meaningful and have the longstanding identity - surely requirements for the NGB Junta's decision.

What would happen if the NGB found that after years of research that their own organisation was itself not official under legislation (unlikely I guess)!

While we are at it, rename Stewart Island "Very South Island," the Chatham Islands, East Islands or by their more MORIORI name, which is ???

Anuva Bob: You are so correct. Would like to know their salaries. They, like many other Public Servants, are trying to justify their pathetic existences.

If the Government really wants to save money, they should just disband this board... this sounds like a gravy-train to me.

To quote the linked article "He said the board had been investigating Maori names for the islands for several years."

As for names - "North" & "South" sound good to me as they are simple, easy to understand, and more importantly, don't require any changes to anything. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

I recently viewed the list of members on the geographic board. Some of them read like a list of who's who in Maoridom. Tipene O'Regan ring any bells? [They have no agenda, of course] The Wanganui furore now makes more sense.