Kingmaker Wiremu Tāmihana’s pou whenua returns to Ngāti Hauā in an emotional handover

A pou whenua once owned by the Kingmaker Wiremu Tāmihana has been returned to his people of Ngāti Hauā.

Waikato Tainui and the Tidmarsh whānau met yesterday at Raungaiti Marae to celebrate the return of a taonga of one of the most treasured tupuna of the iwi.

The exact history of the pou whenua remains sketchy at best, with the pou being at least 100 years old. But according to Erin Wilson of Ngāti Hauā, what is known is how the taonga was given away.

He says it’s such a special occasion for Ngāti Hauā.

“This taonga was gifted by Wiremu Tāmihana to Josiah Clifton Firth. From that time on, the taonga became lost and ended up in the hands of another family.

“What a wonderful occasion today has been! The return of this treasure of Wiremu Tāmihana to his own home and into the hands of the tūmuaki of the Kīngitanga.”

Wiremu Tamihana. Photo / Archives

The taonga ended up in the possession of the Tidmarsh whānau.

Heidi Tidmarsh says it has been in her family’s possession for generations but she says the pou whenua has been calling for its return home, and she implores other Pākehā whānau who have taonga in their possession to think about returning them.

“I’m not gonna lie, it spoke to me and told me it wanted to go home but it wasn’t words, it was a feeling; it was an urgency, and I’m just glad it’s home.

“I’d encourage anybody who’s got something sitting in the cupboard that has no personal value to them but knows it’s a taonga and has value to other people, to reach out to a local marae and ask for some guidance and pathways around the best way forward to repatriate the taonga.”

Heidi’s daughter Bodhi, who is Māori, says the journey to return to the taonga was, at times, difficult, but she has learned a great deal about her Māori side through this journey.

“I’ve never felt fully connected to my culture. But definitely, through this journey that we have had in the past couple of years, I’ve been able to find out a lot more about myself and my culture. I’ve learned quite a bit about my whakapapa.”