A Levin councillor Victoria Kaye-Simmons has complained of racism because of the backlash she’s encountered from locals over her push to re-name Levin, Taitoko. This she asserts was the town’s historic name.
That’s absolute nonsense. The Dominion Post explained that a maori leader had once proposed any town on the site be called Taitoko, this prior to the land being acquired by the Crown.
That mere suggestion does not make Taitoko the town’s historic name any more than had the maori bloke suggested any town built be called Elephantitus would make its historic name Elephantitus.
Levin, like all our towns and cities is a European creation built on government land. Its historic name is Levin. That’s the factual reality and Victoria Kaye-Simmons should grow up without resorting to tiresome bleating about racism, simply because the locals aren’t as wet as she is.