Ngā Ingoa & Ngā Ingoa (awa) - Ngāi Tahu Placenames now on Canterbury Maps

Place names are an essential essence of mapping, they connect people to land and are landmarks of history, culture and identity. Kā Huru Manu, The Ngāi Tahu Cultural Mapping Project, is dedicated to mapping the traditional Māori place names and associated stories within the Ngāi Tahu rohe (tribal area). Place names are tangible reminders of the Ngāi Tahu relationship with the landscape of Te Waipounamu. Over 5,000 place names have been mapped and fully referenced from whānau manuscripts, published books, 19^th century maps, newspaper articles and a vast array of unpublished material. 

In line with Te Wiki o te Reo Māori Canterbury Maps has partnered with Ngāi Tahu and Kā Huru Manu to bring Ngā Ingoa & Ngā Ingoa (awa) - Ngāi Tahu Placenames to Canterbury Maps. You can view the Ngāi Tahu Place names in the Canterbury Maps map viewer.

About Kā Huru Manu

Kā Huru Manu is administered by the Ngāi Tahu Archive Team alongside the 18 Ngāi Tahu Papatipu Rūnaka, and under the guidance of Te Pae Kōrako. Established in 2012, Te Pae Kōrako is responsible for the overview and development of the Ngāi Tahu Archive. It provides advice to Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu to ensure that the Archive is well-managed, with systems in place to ensure the integrity, validity and accessibility to Ngāi Tahu whānui.

The Ngāi Tahu Archive Team manages the Ngāi Tahu Archive which comprises the collections of the Ngaitahu Maori Trust Board, the records of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, and personal papers. Through digital repatriation the Archive is increasingly becoming a repository for archives of tribal significance held by external institutions. In 2019 the Ngāi Tahu Archive Team launched Kareao which provides unprecedented access to the Ngāi Tahu Archive. The team also provides support to Ngāi Tahu Papatipu Rūnanga and whānau for the care of their own collections.

Click here to read the story of Kā Huru Manu.

Ngāi Tahu Atlas The Ngāi Tahu Cultural Mapping Project have put together the Ngāi Tahu Atlas where you can see over 1,000 original Māori place names, kā ara tawhito (traditional travel routes), and the original Māori land allocations in the Ngāi Tahu  takiwā. Click here to explore the Ngāi Tahu Atlas

Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa, New Zealand Geographic Board (NZGB)

Projects such as Kā Huru Manu are essential for establishing and re aligning place names to better reflect the culture and heritage of Aotearoa. The New Zealand Geographic Board has recognised Kā Huru Manu as an authoritative publication bringing national recognition to the Ngāi Tahu Archive. New Zealanders can use projects such as Kā Huru Manu to support submissions to the New Zealand Geographic Board to propose a new name or alter an existing name for a place or a feature.

"The New Zealand Geographic Board Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa (NZGB) is New Zealand’s national place naming authority responsible for official place names in New Zealand, its offshore islands and continental shelf, and the Ross Dependency of Antarctica.

The names of New Zealand places and features, reflect the culture and heritage of New Zealanders. They also help give us bearings on where these places are located. The NZGB assigns new names, alters or discontinues current ones, approves and adopts recorded names, and concurs with and validates Crown protected area names.

Anyone can propose a new name or alter an existing name for a place or feature. The NZGB uses a number of criteria to make a decision on any proposal. The NZGB encourages consultation with local communities, local iwi, local Councils or any interested person to help it make informed decisions on naming proposals that will endure."

 Click here to find out more about the New Zealand Georgraphic Board.