Online blogger and Clinical Psychologist, Kiri Tamihere-Waititi has laid down a challenge to Māori by encouraging them not to spell out their names when conversing with customer service representatives.
The challenge comes following a recent phone call she had when a customer service agent asked how to spell her last name.
“Something happened to me, I don't know what it was but I said to her, ‘actually, how about you give it a go?’
“How about you try to spell my name and I will help you along the way," she said.
Tamihere-Waititi says that it was a bit awkward and the representative was surprised but she was able to guide her through spelling her name correctly.
#wero Sick of having to spell out your Māori name? I am 🥴 Spelling our names all the time enables Pākeha to remain kuare/ignorant. The only thing people learn from it is that they don't have to learn Te Reo Māori and they don't have to respect it. I've got a solution 👀 Well.....an idea anyway in this vid 👇🏼It involves you taking responsibility for the way you engage with people where your name is concerned. So you're gonna have to get a bit kaha 💪🏽 We should no longer be concerned about the discomfort of others if we are coming from a place of aroha for our culture and our identity. The discomfort is not ours to own. I dare you to give it a go. I felt pretty empowered by what I did. I hope the wahine did too...(in the end at least coz she got the heartiest mihi) 🥰 Use your next customer service exchange as a teaching opportunity. Ps- Dont be an asshole about it 🙄. We know what its like to be cornered and made to feel uncomfortable. Help them through it.and give them heaps of praise 😊 #EM. ✌
Posted by Kiri on Monday, November 2, 2020
On Tapatahi this morning, she said that this was not about people spelling names correctly. Rather it was recognising that Te Reo was the indigenous language of this country.
She says, "continuing to spell out our names to people only perpetuates the colonial agenda ... It should be normal that, when we speak to a customer service representative, that they can respect their indigenous people enough to say their name properly and to spell it properly.
“Times need to change and we are demanding respect - we are not asking anymore.”
At the conclusion of her post, Tamihere-Waititi asks Māori to try not to spell their name to people but to help them spell it themselves. She concludes:
“The responsibility sits with us.
“And that's one way that we can start to reclaim the narrative and be in control of the way people are saying our name - it's as simple as that.”