The Tukituki River, Waipukurau. Photo / Warren Buckland
A pre-European toki found on the banks of the Tukituki River, near Kahuranaki south of Havelock North, has been handed to Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa while a search for potential traditional owners is mounted.
The toki or adze, a stone cutting or chopping tool, was found on
June 6.The museum notified the Ministry for Culture and Heritage as required by the Protected Objects Act 1975 (the Act) and the traditional owners of the toki are now being sought.
"Under the Act, newly found taonga tūturu are prima facie Crown owned," the Ministry of Culture and Heritage said.
"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 newly found taonga tūturu with traditional owners, which is usually iwi or hapū in the area of the find, the spokesperson says.
