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Source: ONE News -
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The New Zealand Geographic Board has decided Wanganui should have the letter "h" added to its name.
Wanganui Mayor Michael Laws says the decision was "morally and historically wrong, and will be resisted with all effort and endeavour by the Wanganui District Council and the vast majority of the citizens of Wanganui".
The board was ending 170 years of history and destroying the city's heritage, he says.
The spelling of the city's name has long been subject to controversy and iwi group Te Runanga o Tupoho recently applied to change the name to Whanganui.
Mr Laws said previously the argument should have been resolved in 2006 when a referendum was held with 82 percent voting for Wanganui's name to remain unchanged.
What do you think about the letter "h" being added to Wanganui? Have your say on the messageboard below.
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Add a Comment:
Post new commentmenacerec said on 2010-03-27 @ 04:33 NZDT: Report abusive post
Why havn't these "two referenda" been referenced at all? If the execution of polls is flawed they are meaningless. I expect more from the mayor of a city than to waste time this issue.
Psygone said on 2010-03-26 @ 23:50 NZDT: Report abusive post
I used to find this issue so tedious but now Im different. I am a pakeha who has studied the moari culture and tried to embrace it and the whanganui river people. However the attitude of a few Maori on this issue discusts me and Im sorry for myself that it is turning me into a racist and Im sure the same is happening to many Pakeha. To the select few Maori in WANGANUI who wanted this well done in playing the victim and undoing years of co existence.
Pacifier said on 2010-03-26 @ 21:27 NZDT: Report abusive post
I think we should bulldoze wanganui to the ground and make it into a lake or celebrate the future of Whanganui. Its simply, if you don't like Whanganui then move somewhere else. Whanganui doesn't belong to you just because you live in the town, it belongs to Maori who say name it properly
PaulsPOV said on 2010-03-26 @ 20:31 NZDT: Report abusive post
Realy is political correctness gone mad. Everyone's view is interesting but ultimately unimportant. Those who should decide are those who live there. If they want Wanganui, then that's exactly what they should get. Recent history is still history & the spelling mistake has been around for a long time. Personally I grew up with Wanganui - But I'm not a local & are happy to leave it up to them. (This should not be decided by a few political activists trying to make a point)
alli kris said on 2010-03-26 @ 20:14 NZDT: Report abusive post
It is interesting how this has played out. The Maori as i recall did not have a written language; the name Wanganui was given as the first written interpretation. Wanganui is the original and thus correct interpretation of its meaning. To change would create a mistake. this is one reason. The people who have lived for generations in Wanganui have an attachment to that place and equal rights to the local iwi. to work against the majority of the residents in favor of a few is undemocratic.