New Zealand has announced that one of its new ferries connecting the North and South islands will be named after Captain James Cook, the British Royal Navy officer and explorer. The decision, made public in July 2026, has sparked debate amid ongoing sensitivities about colonial history and its legacy.

Foreign Minister Winston Peters defended the choice in a parliamentary statement in Wellington, urging critics—whom he described as “snivelling wokesters”—to accept the naming as part of the country’s history. Peters emphasized that New Zealand, as a mature nation, should not distance itself from its past or alter historical memory to align with contemporary political trends.

The new ferry, constructed in China and scheduled for delivery in 2029, will operate alongside another vessel named Kupe, after the Polynesian navigator who, according to Māori tradition, was the first to discover New Zealand. Both ferries will carry passengers and freight across the Cook Strait, a crucial maritime link between the islands.

The juxtaposition of Cook and Kupe has highlighted a complex historical dialogue. Tony Ballantyne, a history professor at the University of Otago, noted the “fundamental tension” in equating the two navigators. He pointed out that Cook’s voyages represented the “rediscovery” of already inhabited lands within the framework of European empire-building, contrasting with Kupe’s traditional role as a Polynesian explorer discovering uninhabited territories.

The naming controversy reflects broader trends in New Zealand and Australia, where numerous locations and landmarks have embraced indigenous names or dual nomenclature in recent years. Examples include Uluru (formerly Ayers Rock) and K’gari (previously Fraser Island) in Australia, as well as New Zealand’s Taranaki Maunga, which replaced Mount Egmont. Captain Cook’s legacy has similarly been reevaluated: New Zealand’s highest peak is officially known as Aoraki/Mount Cook, and several businesses and landmarks bearing his name have been renamed to better reflect indigenous perspectives.

In Dunedin, a pub formerly named after Cook changed its title following concerns that it symbolized “oppression and suffering.” Meanwhile, Australia’s Northern Territory saw the Captain Cook Shopping Centre rebranded as the Gumatj Retail Precinct. Michael Yunupingu, director of the Gumatj Corporation, described the change as a positive step away from a “bygone era,” highlighting indigenous agency in reclaiming local spaces.

Calls to replace colonial-era names continue, including proposals to rename Cooks River in Australia as Goolay’yari, and periodic debates over changing the name of Queensland’s James Cook University. Some monuments to Cook have also been targeted by vandalism amid these discussions.

The historical record remains contentious. In 2019, the British government formally expressed regret over the killing of Māori during Cook’s 1769 landing in New Zealand. Records indicate that nine Māori, including local chief Te Rakau, were killed or wounded during initial encounters, with further casualties occurring at Mercury Bay and the Cavalli Islands during Cook’s subsequent travels. Cook himself was not directly responsible for the deaths.

As New Zealand moves forward with the ferry names, the conversation reflects an ongoing effort to reconcile colonial history with indigenous heritage and modern national identity.