Roman Travers: What is achieved by Mitre 10 changing the names?

More so than ever, we live in a world where virtually everyone is outraged or offended more frequently.  

There’s never been anything wrong with being outraged or offended – the difference in recent years is that we don’t only want to tell everyone who’ll listen about how we feel, we also want to shame the offender into stopping what they’re doing. We want to cancel them.  

The offending now extends to products on the shelf at Mitre 10 stores. The offended took issue with the misuse of Te Reo Māori names being used on several of their products.  

Mitre 10’s ‘Legacy Brand’ includes products like the ‘Te anau towel ring' which has quickly become the 'Ellesmere towel ring', while the 'Karapiro towel ring' is now the 'Clutha towel ring'.   

Another offender was the 'Kaiiwi toilet roll holder' and is now listed as the 'Legacy toilet roll holder'.  

Mitre 10 says that the changes they’ve quickly made intend to make the names more culturally sensitive.   They identified mid-last year that these longstanding product names needed to be changed out of respect for te reo Māori. This ‘identification’ presumably came following complaints from those outraged at the use of te reo Māori.  

I admit that I don’t fully understand the misappropriation of Māori names aspect here. Would some Māori have been as offended if the products hadn’t been toilet and bathroom related? What if the products were new cars or bespoke frilly frocks for a flash night on the town?  

What is it with this overzealous policing of the language of our indigenous people when all the time we hear the need for te reo Māori to be used more and in more everyday walks of life?   

It’s not as though these products were spotted on the shelf in some village in the UK. If these were seen at ‘John Ramsbottom’s Hardware’ in Northumberland – then I’d agree that would be an issue worth pursuing.  

Māori cultural and tikanga expert, Karaitiana Taiuru says that Mitre 10 is correct in thinking the original names were inappropriate. He also says that it’s a little bit surprising that someone like Mitre 10 didn't do cultural audits beforehand.  

Cultural audits? Really? When was the last time you thought of conducting one at your workplace? When did cultural audits become a requirement?  

Surely seeing the language used as a reminder of the rivers, lakes and mountains of New Zealand is just another way to encourage us all to respect te reo Māori? 

This kind of highly offended, over the top cancel culture is not helping to keep the Māori language alive. This is an example of what puts some people off it.  

What’s been achieved by this name changing in Mitre 10’s across the country?   

Nothing. Although being in the news isn’t necessarily a bad thing for foot traffic through one of our biggest home renovation chains. 

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