Traditional owners sought for Maori taonga found in Northland

A small grey basalt toki (adze) found in Ngunguru Estuary, above, is one of two Maori taonga the Ministry for Culture and Heritage has had handed in to it this year. Photo / File

The Ministry for Culture and Heritage has called for claims of ownership of two Maori taonga found in Northland.

The ministry has been notified of two newly found taonga tūturu from Ngunguru Estuary and Giles Rd, Horeke, as required by the Protected Objects Act 1975.

In the Ngunguru Estuary find, a small dark grey basalt toki (adze) was discovered earlier this year, lying on a tidal deposited bank of cobbles of similar size at the mouth of the Ngunguru Estuary, by a member of the public.

The taonga has been left in the care of Whangarei Museum and Heritage Park, Kiwi North.

At Horeke, a wooden patu aruhe (fern root beater) was found by a local person while horse riding in 1976 and was held by the finder until recently, at which point it was left at a nearby marae.

The marae has put the taonga into the care of Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga at Mangungu Mission House, where it is now being held for safekeeping.

Despite being found in 1976, this taonga was only notified to the ministry very recently. The ministry asks that anybody who finds taonga tūturu to deliver it to a nearby museum for notification as soon as practicable.

Under the act, newly found taonga tūturu are Crown owned. This is an interim measure which enables the ministry to provide for the care and custody of ngā taonga and ensure that taonga receive the conservation and care they require when found.

One of the purposes of the act is to reconnect taonga tūturu with its traditional owners, usually iwi or hapū in the area of the find. To do this the ministry carries out a public notification process calling for claims of ownership.

When a single claim for ownership is made, and the ministry is satisfied it is valid, the chief executive will apply to the Māori Land Court seeking an order determining ownership and custody. When multiple claims are lodged, the ministry works with claimants to find, wherever possible, a suitable resolution.

In these two cases there are no claims for ownership, but people have until July 25 to lodge a claim.