Mana whenua are celebrating the confirmation that a settlement on the outskirts of Whanganui has officially had its name changed, no longer honouring a militiaman responsible for the killing of rangatahi.
Pākaraka marae. Photo: Google Maps
Maxwell, a village about 20km west of Whanganui, will now be known as Pākaraka, the Geographic Board confirmed this week.
Pākaraka marae spokesperson Bob Brownlie was elated at the news.
"Everyone's just stoked," he told RNZ. "A settlement surrounded by an ambundance of karaka trees, that's where the name stems from and that's the name that Māori gave to that rohe."
The settlement had been named after Sergeant George Maxwell, a Scotsman who was a founding member of a settler militia in the 19th century.
In 1868, Maxwell's militia came upon a group of unarmed Māori children while scouting near Nukumaru.
What happened next was detailed in the histiorical record of Ngā Rauru Kītahi's deed of settlement with the Crown.
"On 27 November 1868, a government militia encountered a group of unarmed children of Ngā Rauru Kītahi and other iwi of Taranaki at Handley's Woolshed near Waitotara. The children were from the nearby Tauranga Ika Pa, the eldest about 10 years old.
"In an unprovoked attack, the militia fired on the group, then pursued them on horseback and attacked them with sabres.
"Two of the children were killed and others wounded."
A year after the attack, a new settlement near the scene was named Maxwelltown in his honour. In 1927, the name changed to Maxwell.
For decades, Ngāti Maika have been fighting to have the name changed back to Pākaraka, instead of one honouring a man responsible for killing their descendants.
"It's always been part of the korero amongst our tūpuna. It was passed on through the generations, it's how our history has been conveyed. It's always been there, we've always known," Brownlie said.
Discussions about a change gained momentum when Ngā Rauru Kītahi signed its deed of settlement in 2003, opening a sometimes contentious consultation process.
Many residents in the area were opposed to a change, with some writing to Whanganui District Council to call it "a waste of time and money", among other criticisms.
"No, this place is called Maxwell and will always be Maxwell," wrote one. "Maxwell is embedded into the community, it's a lovely name and doesn't need to change," wrote another. "Changing the name would be heart breaking for all who call Maxwell home."
But Ngāti Maika, who call it home, said changing the name was essential.
"The marae there has always been known as Pākaraka marae, but Maxwell was the township that was there beside it. And we were wanting to bring it back to the name that Māori had given it all those many years ago," Brownlie said.
In the end, the majority of submissions were in favour of the change - 189 in support, 58 against - and Whanganui District Council formally supported the change in 2020.
The wheels of bureaucracy turn slowly, and this week, after nearly 20 years of formal process, the change was confirmed.
"None of the reasons given against changing outweighed the case to right this wrong," Land Information Minister Damien O'Connor said in a statement.
Over time, signs will change and maps will be updated, but for Ngāti Maika, a wrong has finally been righted.
"We as a hapū, a discussion point at our next meeting will be what this means for us, but I expect there will be a celebration of some sort."