Iwi fears for whale bone thieves
The theft of whale jawbones and teeth has left a Taranaki iwi fearful for the wellbeing of the thieves. Koiwi para¯oa (sperm whale bones) and teeth were stolen within the past couple of days from a shed of Nga¯ ti Ha¯ ua hapu¯ of Nga¯ ruahine iwi at Otakeho, halfway between O¯punake¯ and Ha¯wera.
Te Korowai o Nga¯ruahine tumu whakarae Te Aorangi Dillon said one side of each of three sperm whale jawbones was taken, along with some niho (teeth).
“Someone, or some people, have cut the lock to the gate and jimmied open the heavy middle door to the shed.”
Dillon said the raid was well planned as the kauwae (jawbone) para¯oa are too heavy to be lifted by one person without disturbing everything around it.
“Transport would have also needed to be a consideration as they are too big to put in the back of a car. You would need a trailer, at a push you could get away with an SUV, a ute or a van.”
Police have been notified and are investigating, she said.
She asked anyone who has heard of possible culprits or know where the koiwi have ended up, to tell the iwi agency Te Korowai or police.
“We would like for the koiwi and niho to be returned and your spiritual wellbeing maintained.”
Many Facebook messages on the theft have also expressed concerns for the wairua of the thieves for
plundering the tapu bones.
One Black Power supporter wrote that ma¯kutu (harm through spiritual powers) could be visited on the looters.
“Don’t take what’s not yours, especially from our people,” the person wrote.
It’s a widely held view in the Facebook responses, including by Waiora Hohaia Ashby.
“Scary to be them. Asking for a lifetime of pain and hardship doing something like that.”
Iri Mako raised the possibility of an inside job.
“It’s so gutting to think that it could even be one of our own who would do this, but only our own knew they [the ko¯iwi para¯oa] were there.”
Raniera Toa said the wha¯nau would ‘really love our taonga back’
“To those that decided to take these sacred taonga: By now it should be weighing on your mind. Do the right thing and just return them.”