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Locals discovered a centuries-old waka on the Chatham Islands, sparking interest in its origins.
Maui Solomon believes it could be a significant archaeological find, revealing insights into Polynesian navigation.
Ownership claims have been filed by Moriori and Ngāti Mutunga, with the Ministry of Culture and Heritage investigating.
Six months after Vincent Dix and his son Nikau stumbled across remains of an ocean-voyagingwaka while searching for driftwood on their property in Rēkohu – Chatham Islands, the community is still buzzing over the discoveries.
The big question locals want an answer to: where did the waka come from and who does it belong to.
Maui Solomon, chairman of the Moriori Settlement Trust, was excited when he learnt about the discovery along the northern coastline, but also not surprised.
“According to our oral traditions ... one of our voyaging waka was wrecked there in a big storm about seven or eight hundred years ago,” he said.
Only a handful of the crew survived, and Solomon told RNZ’s The Detail that the waka was never seen again. So it was possible this waka was the remains of that wreckage.
“But even if it isn’t, it’s probably one of the most important archaeological finds in New Zealand’s history and perhaps even throughout the Pacific.
“What it will tell us is a great deal about our migration and traditions, you know, where the waka came from.”
The initial excavation in September last year revealed 450 pieces of the waka, including pieces of timber as well as remains of sail, rope, twine and corking.
Solomon said analysing these pieces could pinpoint who the waka belonged to and retrace the journey of where it has travelled.
“[Polynesians] were at the apex of their navigational abilities and so sailing down here and sailing back was no big deal ... so what’s exciting about this, not only for Moriori, but it’s going to tell us so much more about ocean navigation, the early abilities of Polynesian navigators,” he said.
The waka was discovered buried in the sand dunes in a remote part of Rēkohu.
But determining ownership of taonga found in New Zealand is not as easy as choosing the most likely theory.
There is an official process, guided by the Protected Objects Act and the Ministry for Culture and Heritage.
Glenis Philip-Barbara, the deputy secretary of Māori-Crown partnerships at the Ministry of Culture and Heritage, said it was still too early to even speculate on the waka’s origins.
The act states that any taonga found anywhere in New Zealand or within the territorial waters of New Zealand are initially property of the Crown.
People or groups who believe the object is theirs must register a claim of ownership with the ministry, who will do an investigation and determine who the rightful owner is. If they cannot reach a verdict, the case gets passed on to the Māori Land Court.
Solomon said both the Moriori Imi Settlement Trust and the Hokotehi Moriori Trust have filed ownership claims on behalf of Moriori.
However, those claims are being challenged by the one made by Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri trust, a representative of the island’s local iwi.
In a survey map from 1868, the area where the waka was discovered is labelled as Rangihoua, a Māori name, which Monique Croon, who is chairwoman of the trust, said could indicate the waka is of Māori origin.
“So we’ve been involved right from the start working with the Ministry of Culture and Heritage as we go through the process and to the first excavation.
“[What] many of our people talk about pre-1835 is that Māori were here on the island, and they have talk of a waka in that area. They’ve held the tradition that it is a tapu site, so there is some relevance to Ngāti Mutunga around this waka.”
Although Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri trust has registered a claim of ownership with the ministry, Croon said that does not mean the iwi think it’s theirs.
“Our position is let the waka tell the story and let it reveal its story ... it’s of cultural and historical significance to Ngāti Mutunga, but it’s also for the community,” she said.
Croon said Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri remain committed to working together with Moriori and the wider Chatham Islands community to ensure the waka remains on the island, regardless of ownership.
But despite both iwi and imi claiming ownership of the waka, the archaeologist leading the excavation and analysis of this waka, Justin Maxwell, said tension has not impacted the work.
He said he has had support across the board.
“Archaeology very much is a team sport, and it’s a mix of professionals and volunteers and interested locals, many of whom have wonderful skills, and it’s as a group that we pull off jobs like this and without all those people involved, we wouldn’t have achieved anything,” he said.
In this episode of The Detail, Maxwell also explained the process of excavating something as old as this waka and why it was so well preserved.
You can find out how to listen to and follow The Detail here.
