Maori flag held by Scottish museum could be returned to NZ after nearly a century

The Maori war flag which is subject to a repatriation request from a museum in New Zealand. Photo / Scottish Borders Council

A Scottish museum has agreed to repatriate a Maori war flag it has held for the last century.

Scottish Borders Council last night voted to return the flag to New Zealand.
It comes after Wairoa Museum in northern Hawkes Bay made an official approach to Hawick Museum for the flag.

The flag was taken from a Maori tribe by Crown forces in 1865 in the Battle of Omaruhakeke.

The council said the flag had only been on display a handful of times since being donated by Scottish watercolour artist Tom Scott in 1921.

The flag had been presented to Mr Scott, however the reasons for the gift or the donation to the museum were unknown.

Scottish Borders councillor Vicky Davidson said there was no good reason, apart from Mr Scott's connection to the area, for the flag to remain.

"There is a strong spiritual, social and political case for the flag to be repatriated to New Zealand.

"We have been reassured that this artefact will be carefully conserved, displayed and interpreted in the museum and I hope my fellow councillors will support the repatriation of the flag."

The request from Wairoa Museum director Mike Spedding was accompanied by three letters from descendants of key figures in the battle.

Three came from descendants of noted Maori leaders, and one from a descendant of Ihaka Whaanga, who fought alongside Crown forces, and is said to have captured the flag.

The letters said the flag's return could be a symbol of the resolution of social, economic, political and spiritual turmoil for Maori.

The cost of repatriation will be met by Wairoa Museum.