Chocolate and te reo Māori lovers have united against a racist backlash to chocolate company Whittaker's adopting reo Māori packaging for their chocolates.
Whittaker's adopted the Miraka Kirīmi branding ahead of te wiki o te reo Māori (Māori language week).
The company also used transliterations for words like Cocoa (Koko) but online commenters immediately took aim at the locally owned chocolatier.
"Go woke, go broke .. see ya Whittakers," wrote right-wing blogger Cameron Slater.
Online commenters have swung in behind the branding decision, reminding critics te reo Māori is in fact the first language of Aotearoa.
"Almost never buy chocolate, it's a luxury my wallet and waistline can do without but I bought four large Whittakers blocks this afternoon. Tonight we party," one said.
No chocolate for racists
"What Whittakers have done is make chocolate inaccessible for racists. I approve - they don't deserve chocolate," another joked.
Others asked if those proposing a boycott felt similarly about foreign language branded chocolate like Ferrero Rocher or Toblerone.
"Thank you both for sticking your necks out on the line while racists slam you from all directions with hate and disgusting comments," one commenter wrote.
Te Taura Whiri Māori Language Commission chair Professor Rawinia Higgins also defended the chocolate company's move.
'"For those who have complained this is a step too far for our country, the reality is that the rest of New Zealand has already taken that step," she told Stuff.
"We know that eight in 10 of us see Te Reo as part of our identity as a Kiwi while one in three of us can speak more than a few words of Māori.
"Young New Zealanders are helping to drive change. They are not threatened when they see or hear Te Reo; they see Te Reo as absolutely normal."
