1975), thus our taonga became the exclusive property of museums, in our case particularly the Auckland Museum. As a result of the current laws, our newly found taonga are still being deposited in these museums.

46. To my mind the failure of the Antiquities Act 1975 to cover taonga discovered prior to 1975 confirmed the dispossession of our taonga and resulted in the effective confiscation and appropriation of our treasures and property. I believe this is a serious failure to protect our taonga properly. I believe the findings of the Hauraki Inquiry on this point are equally applicable to this part of our tribal territory.¹⁶

47. In the last 10 years various groups of our people, for example the Athenree Forest kaitiaki taonga group, Te Kupenga O Ngati Hako, Ngati Tamatera and Ngati Tara Tokanui and their respective kaumatua and the Hauraki Maori Trust Board have been consulted or provided advice to the Historic Places Trust, the local District Councils, the forest licensee, land developers and/or the police regarding taonga and waahi tapu.

48. In 2001 two carved wooden pare (possibly pataka kai) were found near Athenree (Waiau Road) and our kaumatua of Ngati Tara Tokanui were asked by other iwi to take care of the matter. Our kaumatua had witnessed, in the past and recently, similar highly valued carved taonga being taken to the Auckland museum and, as there is almost no relationship between our kaumatua and the Auckland museum in relation to the care of our taonga, they had no confidence in the Museum to care for them appropriately and in accordance with our tikanga. As part of the exercise of their rangatiratanga they therefore kept these taonga and placed them back into the earth at a new location which was safe and in keeping with the tikanga of the iwi. I would suggest that should similar high value iconic taonga be found now then similar procedures will occur.

49. At the Hauraki Maori Trust Board office we have custody of several stone and wooden taonga from our area of interest the Tauranga Inquiry

¹⁶ Refer page 964 The Hauraki Report (2006)