Editor
This seems to be a pretty cheesy issue, sorry for the pun!
Fonterra has in its marketing, come-up with a new trademark name ‘Tuteremoana Cheddar’ for its Kāpiti Cheese product.
This has caused a cheesy uproar with the Maori officials stating by labelling the product with this name is inappropriate to the Maori culture.
Couple of issues have come out of this: The product was named from a landmark on Kāpiti Island, the highest peak and the Maori argue Tutermoana insults the Maori culture by naming the cheese product after all a peak and a Kāpiti chief which can be eaten!
The issue with this, the Chief Tutermoana believed to be alive around New Zealand shores some 19-20 generations ago, 1400-1430s. Back then inter-tribalism fighting and inter-tribalism cannibalism was all part of their lifestyle yet in 2019 we can not call and eat cheese called this.
Question, if this name product is not appropriate to Maori culture, no naming involving Taranaki, plus most Maori names places as they are either places or landmarks and might offend.
Ian McAlpine
Inglewood
