Historic sale: Ngāti Māhaki offers rare Tahutahi pounamu to public

Tahutahi taonga gifted to New Zealand’s Olympic and Paralympic athletes / Supplied

• Ngāti Māhaki is selling Tahutahi pounamu to the public for the first time.
• Tahutahi, known for its vibrant green colour, is extremely rare and previously targeted by illegal trade.
• Authentic Tahutahi is available at Westland Greenstone in Hokitika, with plans to expand sales next year.

For the first time, Ngāti Māhaki (West Coast hapū) is selling one of the rarest types of pounamu to the public.

Tahutahi pounamu is only found in the Cascade Plateau, south of Haast, and has never been sold legally on the market before. Known for its vibrant green colour with white flecks, this taonga is extremely rare.

Te Rūnanga o Makaawhio chairman Paul Madgwick says the public sale of Tahutahi pounamu is momentous for both Ngāti Māhaki and Ngāi Tahu.

“Tahutahi is a special taonga for our people and we’re looking forward to sharing it authentically for the first time through our Westland Greenstone store in Hokitika.

“This rare pounamu is highly sought after. Earlier this year, Tahutahi pendants were gifted by Ngāi Tahu to New Zealand’s Olympic and Paralympic athletes, and a custom set was gifted to Kuini Nga wai hono i te Po during her first official haerenga south.”

Te Tai Poutini (the West Coast) history is steeped in pounamu, but recent history has been marred by large-scale thefts and the black-market trading of illegally sourced Tahutahi.

“Tahutahi is prized for its beauty and rarity, and unfortunately that has made it a target for illegal trade,” Madgwick said.

Following prosecutions in the early 2000s, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu acquired stolen raw Tahutahi pounamu and carved taonga. Some of the taonga available for purchase are repatriated and mana-restored pieces that were recovered through this process.

After carrying the mamae of these thefts for two decades, Madgwick says it is a big step for Ngāti Māhaki to finally be able to honour the mana of their pounamu taonga.

Tahutahi was previously referred to by some as “snowflake”.

The Crown’s rights to pounamu in the takiwā of Ngāi Tahu were officially returned to Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu in 1997 through the Ngāi Tahu (Pounamu Vesting) Act.

Madgwick says it’s easy to check if pounamu is being sold authentically through the Ngāi Tahu Pounamu authentication scheme.

“We want people to have confidence they are buying genuine pounamu. All taonga sold by Ngāi Tahu Pounamu carries a mark of authenticity and a unique traceability code.

“Currently, Westland Greenstone is the only place selling authentic Tahutahi in-store and it is not available online. We hope to make it available at other Ngāi Tahu businesses on Te Tai Poutini next year.”