Ancient taonga Ma¯ori to be returned

Thirty ancient taonga Ma¯ori, mainly gardening implements, will be formally returned to three marae in the Te Waimate Taiamai area on Saturday, after years of intensive treatment at Auckland University and Auckland Museum.

The collection was found over the years by Waimate North farmer the late John Finlayson during ploughing and other farming activities. As required by the Protected Objects Act 1975, and the guidelines on Taonga Tu¯turu, Mr Finlayson registered his finds with the Ministry of Culture, beginning a process of discussion, research and negotiation.

A decade later agreement was reached by all parties to vest legal ownership of the collection in the trustees of three marae (Parawhenua, Rawhitiroa and Tauwhara), with reference to the Finlayson whanau and their relationship to the area, people and taonga.

The taonga will be accompanied on Saturday by members of the Finlayson family, local whanau, conservation and curatorial experts from Auckland.

The entire collection will be welcomed on to Tauwhara Marae in the morning, before distribution to the three marae in the afternoon, with interpretative signage explaining the ancient and recent history of the collection, and acknowledging the unique relationship local hapu and pa¯keha farming communities share with the whenua, lands of Te Waimate Taiamai.

Hinerangi Himiona said as Ngapuhi continued to move toward the next stages of settling their claims against the Crown for generations of breaches of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Te Waimate Taiamai hapu looked forward to placing these practical artefacts within the modern marae context as a talking point, a reminder of why their tupuna fiercely protected their place on the area’s rich, fertile lands. The hapu had continued to live there for well over two centuries.

Meanwhile the marae trustees were already planning ongoing wananga on gardening, Maramataka (the Ma¯ori lunar calendar, unique to each community), Puanga/Matariki (the Ma¯ori New Year), Ms Himiona saying the taonga in each of the whare nui would provide evidence and inspiration for sharing, teaching and learning about agricultural and horticultural activities that were well known, protected and fruitful in the area for centuries.