A campaign backed by an influential kaumātua wants to see a redesign for Hamilton’s coat of arms.
But Hamilton’s mayor says the council has more important things to focus on.
It comes after Jahvaya Wheki, a prominent activist for Māori and crown partnership in Waikato, has been fighting to see the city’s crown-heavy emblem redesigned for several years.
The emblem was designed in 1946 by designer Zelda A Paul. It includes a background, or a “barry-wavy”, of Awa te Waikato, covered by a banner displaying oxen, which represent Waikato’s agricultural history.
The supporters of the emblem are two pūkeko, and it’s all topped by a crown crest.
To Wheki, the representation of the awa is the only indication of any partnership between council and local iwi.
“Instantly when I looked at the crest I thought, oh my goodness. The awa, that’s all good, that represents Kirikiriroa. But the strip of land in the back is stolen land, so that doesn’t sit right,” Wheki said.
“The three oxen as well. Those represent agriculture. But if we look at history, we know that agriculture in Waikato was happening on stolen land.”
The pūkeko is no good either. Kirikiriroa kaumātua Tame Pokaia, who has been guiding Wheki on her cultural journey, said the pūkeko does not have positive connotations.
According to legend, the bird was relegated to swamps after refusing to help kiwi clean up the forest floor.
“So it’s not a positive thing to have on our coat of arms.”
The crown symbol is the “insult” on the top, Pokaia said, showcasing that everything underneath it was under the crown.
Wheki said she’s reluctant to suggest any new designs, as she thinks a new coat of arms should be a community effort. But Pokaia said some stars would be a good replacement for the crown.
“Because we’re all under the stars.”
Wheki presented the idea to the council in 2022, after campaigning and petitioning for it for years, and she’s still very keen on the council’s support for the idea. However, Hamilton Mayor Paula Southgate said that she’s not sold.
“The community is always welcome to propose new ideas to the council. However, it is not something I personally could support,” Southgate said.
“We have huge issues to tackle and would not have the capacity or funding to progress this idea at this time.”
Hamilton City Council has been under increasing financial pressure, and a report from international credit ratings agency Standard & Poor’s showed council to be in a financially “weak” position.
This followed last month when Councillor Maxine van Oosten presented a report to the council that revealed the council was getting close to a financial breach, and that it had little money for unforeseen costs.
- Waikato Times