DISCOVERY: An area on Kapiti Island where human remains were found last month.
DISCOVERY: An area on Kapiti Island where human remains were found last month.
Human skeletal remains discovered on Kapiti Island in early October will be reburied soon.
A Department of Conservation ranger discovered some human skeletal remains on the island in an area of subsidence by the shoreline on October 8.
Police were notified a day later and then a day after thatsent the police launch Lady Elizabeth 4 to the scene with a detective, a search specialist, a photographer and a pathologist onboard.
"Our first criteria, from a police perspective, was to see if there was any criminal element involved," Detective Inspector Scott Miller said.
The pathologist estimated the bones dated back to the early 1900s.
"As a result of that we organised for a skull, an arm bone, a leg bone, five teeth and four vertebrae to be picked up and brought into Wellington and then sent to an anthropologist in Dunedin who would examine them."
ISLAND: Human skeletal remains were found on Kapiti Island last month.
Various tests by the anthropologist indicated the remains dated back to pre 1900s and was a young female aged between 20 to 35 of Polynesian descent.
A blessing was held in Dunedin before the remains were taken back to Wellington where they have been safely secured at Kapiti police station before the police launch takes a delegation, via the Plimmerton Boating Club, to the island soon, to bury remains in a carefully selected place.
Mr Miller said given how the remains were found, in a shallow grave with a tree over the top, and close to the water, it fitted into burial protocols a long time ago.
"And local iwi have that same opinion."
The three iwi in Kapiti - Ngati Toa, Te Atiawa and Ngati Raukawa - have been involved during the process via a police iwi liaison officer.
Ngati Toa chairman Taku Parai said it had been important that the removal and reinterment of the bones was "done in a proper traditional way that we're happy and agree with".
"It has been a good open process.
"We've been very happy with police, the Maori liaison officer, and the communication between the iwi."
