Maori bones to be reburied

A Marlborough iwi hopes the 600-year-old remains of 53 ancestors will be returned by the Canterbury Museum for reburial within a year.

A meeting between the Rangitane iwi and the museum advisory board on Friday resulted in an agreement in principle to return the remains, said Rangitane development manager Richard Bradley.

The iwi had accused the museum of stealing the remains of 53 moa hunters and more than 1800 artefacts from grave sites at the mouth of the Wairau River near Blenheim.

The remains were unearthed by 13-year-old Jim Eyles in 1939. He later joined Roger Duff, from the Canterbury Museum, on a series of excavations that lasted until 1964.

The iwi has been asking for the remains to be returned for several years.

The Press newspaper said that last year the debate heated up, with Mr Bradley accusing the museum of being a licensed receiver of stolen goods.

Mr Bradley said on Monday: "We are pleased at the progress ... pleased that our stolen ancestors are coming home."

- NZPA