Invercargill City Council leisure and recreation manager Steve Gibling presented the report to the council on Tuesday.
Mana whenua representative Evelyn Cook questioned why the report recommended asking the iwi liaison komiti to support the process of gathering feedback on the proposed name, as the komiti was the adviser and support to the Southland Museum and Art Gallery Trust Board, not the museum or council.
Ms Cook also questioned why iwi were being asked again, when the komiti had already offered a name for the new museum two years ago and confirmed it six months ago.
"I think you’re building up within my community a little bit of antipathy about the process.
"I am a little bit unsure about what could be reasonably expected of us."
Mr Gibling said that one of the reasons feedback was being sought was because the actual design of the facility had not been seen yet and there was the potential for the name to be tied into the design, as it had been for the previous museum.
"It gives the komiti the chance to go ‘well actually, there’s something else in the feel of this place now’ ... It’s not to disregard the feedback, but it’s to provide a current view to that komiti."
Fellow mana whenua representative Pania Coote said there was disappointment in the community about why the name was being questioned, but she agreed with Mr Gibling’s reasoning.
Cr Barry Stewart said it was a major worry to him the naming of the museum would "turn out like Mosgiel swimming pool has, with a Māori name on it".
"I’m quite happy with an English name at the top and a Māori name at the bottom but quite frankly that’s just about where I’ll stand."
Ms Cook said the people of Mosgiel should remember the name of the pool was the original name of the stream that was taken away from that place.
"When rūnaka ask whether it be here or in Ōtākou or in Waitaha or whatever, they usually do look back at the landscape and they do look back at the stories of the past when they choose the names that they give ... It’s meaningful."
Mayor Nobby Clark said there was some urgency over what the name of the museum would be.
"We’re doing a lot of promotional work around funders and they need some certainty with that."
The report was received with the reference to the liaison komiti changed to the four Papatipu Rūnaka of Murihiku, and also to ask the rūnaka to provide comments on Southland or Murihiku as the English equivalent name of the museum.
