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Weta Workshop intended to name itself after a spiky native insect. The lack of macrons meant that the special effects and props company ended up with something quite different.
According to Hēmi Kelly, a professor at Te Ara Poutama, AUT’s Faculty of Maori Studies, the correct way to spell weta, as in the insect, is with a macron in the ē and ā to lengthen the vowel sounds. Like weh-taa.
Without the macrons, it means something quite different: “It’s excrement. Yeah …” Kelly said.
STUFF
The Canterbury Barkers salsa company has partnered with te reo maōri champion Anton Matthews to promote the country’s indigenous language.
Unfortunately for the Maori and the many similarly affected businesses, Weta’s mistake is not unique.
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A quick Google search reveals that dozens of companies, both in New Zealand and abroad, have failed te reo names or have made major cultural mistakes by using Maori words or images.
Among them is Wellington leather goods retailer Huruhuru, which, despite the good intentions of its owners, faced criticism earlier this year.
A spokeswoman for the store said she had no negative intention in choosing her name. But the word “huruhuru” is commonly used in te reo to refer to pubic hair.
“Our name and logo have been approved by Iponz (New Zealand Intellectual Property Office) and the Maori committee,” said Huruhuru’s spokeswoman.
“Regardless of this, we have faced this problem.”
Supplied
Weta Workshop – Famous for Gollum, famous for naming himself after excrement.
Wellington’s patent attorney Lynell Tuffery Huria said companies cannot rely on Iponz’s approval as evidence that their brand will not cause problems.
Companies can adopt a name with or without registration through Iponz. When an application is made to register intellectual property with a Maori item, the office can refer the application to its Maori Trademark Advisory Committee.
But despite its name, the scope of its advice is limited, Tuffery Huria said.
“Their role is not to advise on all issues. They cannot tell if a name is in bad taste, only if it is offensive. They then make a recommendation to the commissioner, who can ignore their advice anyway.
“His powers are very limited. We need a commission to provide that advice. “
ROSA WOODS / Things
Wellington’s leather goods store, Huruhuru, thought its name was clear.
Tuffery Huria said companies should thoroughly research any Maori elements of their branding and make sure their advisers were up to the task.
“I am skeptical about how much advice people have actually sought when these cases come up and they say they consulted with ‘cultural advisers.’
“What makes someone a ‘cultural advisor’? Talking to your Maori partner in the future is not enough, ”he said.
“Some people will say that they have looked at the Maori dictionary, but this knowledge is centuries old and not always written.”
KIMOA
Spanish fashion brand Kimoa was criticized for using moko-painted models to promote its “Maori” collection.
Tuffery Huria said it was important for non-Maori business owners to consider the broader potential implications of incorporating Maori elements into their brand.
“Does a Maori brand really reflect your business? How are you respecting Te Tiriti or Waitangi? [the Treaty of Waitangi]?
“What happens if you sell your business to foreign interests and the ownership of that brand is transferred abroad? Do we want our Maori words and images to be the property of foreign interests? No. I don’t think they are thinking about those considerations. “
Some examples of cultural appropriation:
Haka Korea
South Korean vaporizer company Haka Korea used the slogan “We vaporize, we do haka” and claimed it was based “on the ideas of the spirit of Haka.”
In January, the company was criticized for using “Maori spiritual capital” to promote an e-cigarette, especially as Maori have a significantly higher smoking-related death rate.
Coca Cola
Coca-Cola’s 2018 attempt at a friendly Kiwi hello backfired in a big way.
The beverage maker posted signs across the country that read, “Kia pray, buddy.” But “companion” is the Maori word for “death” or “dead.”
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Coca-Cola’s “Kia ora, mate” campaign was a fizzeria.
Maori Mix Cigarettes
Tobacco giant Philip Morris was criticized in 2005 for marketing a cigarette brand called Māori Mix in Israel. The packaging featured a generic tribal design and a map of New Zealand.
Philip Morris apologized for the mistake and said he “sincerely regrets” any upset his mistake caused to Maori.
Kimoa
Spanish fashion brand Kimoa, founded by former Formula One driver Fernando Alonso, sparked a backlash with the launch of its “Māori” collection earlier this year.
Photos on Kimoa’s website showed two models with their faces painted in an approximation of tā moko, which critics said were equivalent to wearing blackface.
Feathers
In addition to Wellington’s leather goods store, Hell’s Basement Brewery in Alberta, Canada, was also criticized for the use of the word. The brewery was accused of cultural appropriation for calling its New Zealand pale ale “Huruhuru.”
