About 200 people led by Whanganui River kuia Julie Ranginui marched to the Wanganui District Council from Pakaitore/Moutoa Gardens yesterday to voice their displeasure at the misspelling of a Maori word, Whanganui. Mrs Ranginui said that spiritually the iwi has the objective of carrying forward the word Whanganui from their
ancestors. "Not just the language but the spiritual values that binds it all together." She said Whanganui was named by the first ancestor Turi when the canoes landed in Aotearoa long before Pakeha settled in the country. "Turi sent his mokai (slave) to have a look at the new land and it was some months before he returned. "He named Whanganui after the long wait ? whanga, meaning wait, and nui big. "We don't object how Pakeha use their language, but don't dictate to us. We have our own identity and culture and don't tell us how to speak our language." Mrs Ranginui said it was appropriate that there were a lot of children on the hikoi. "These rangatahi are learning first-hand about issues that affect them, the kaupapa of the spelling, and also their fight for cultural recognition." Mayor Michael Laws who met the marchers with members of the council said it was a professionally organised and orderly hikoi. "From the council point of view it was orderly, responsible and clearly sincere." He said Wanganui belonged to all and the name had acquired a mana and identity of its own, and thought the debate was void when Mrs Ranginui said she did not care how Pakeha spelt Wanganui. "The iwi have their view and Wanganui citizens have a different view." Mr Laws said he had accepted an invitation to Te Kura o Kokohuia to discuss the spelling of Wanganui and other issues that were raised. Criticism that school children were in the hikoi was dismissed by the Mayor. "Children should learn to exercise their freedom of speech and today they got to see and participate in political action." Yesterday Whanganui iwi returned to Pakaitore/Moutoa Gardens to commemorate their unique river cultural identity, Whanganuitanga, eleven years after they occupied the gardens for 79 days in 1995. Whanganui kura kaupapa and kohanga reo children donned their hats against the sun and performed kapa haka to a large crowd of iwi and visitors.
