'Tangata Whenua' a better term than 'Maori', says Turia

11.45am

Associate Maori Affairs Minister Tariana Turia hopes to hear the word Maori less often in future.

Instead she is calling for the use of the words tangata whenua, which she said were far more appropriate.

"It means people of the land and I think it's important if we are using particular language that the language does identify the culture and the people," she told National Radio today.

"Maori really is a word that means natural. It's a word that was used by non-Maori to describe the collective of our people and I think we should be using terminology that is our own."

It was important people understood the status of tangata whenua.

"I think it is important for all other New Zealanders to understand the status of our people as tangata whenua," Ms Turia said.

"My belief is that we've been relegated to another ethnic minority group in this country and so by using the term Maori we just become another one of the ethnic groups in this country, and we're not.

"We have constitutional status as tangata whenua and so that's why I refer to it constantly."

She also wanted to see changes to the use of words at local levels.

"Part of the problem is that I believe people have forgotten what it means to be the host people and when we are guests, and unfortunately this has come about when we're talking about pan-tribal peoples, pan-Maori is another word that's used, urban Maori, and I'm not sure what any of those words really mean," she said.

"I grew up in a society where you were either the host, or you were the guest and you had to understand that and practice it.

"So when I'm outside my tribal rohe (tribal area) I behave as a guest and I seek permission to do things and I can't see why you can't continue to do that today.

"It doesn't matter how many numbers there are of you who are guests in someone else's rohe, they are still the mana whenua (holding status and authority) and you should accord them the respect."

That applied to Pakeha manuhiri (visitors) too, Ms Turia said.

- NZPA