Help stop illegal Snowflake Pounamu trading
All pounamu is valued by Ngāi Tahu for much more than its economic worth. For hundreds of years it has been used to make tools, weapons and adornments and is regarded as having considerable mana (power, prestige) and mauri (life-force).
Snowflake Pounamu.
Pounamu is a treasured resource which needs protection in order to guarantee the long-term viability of the pounamu industry and its worth to the local economy.
Snowflake Pounamu is a variety found only on the Cascade Plateau in South Westland. No licenses or other authority has ever been issued to mine this distinctively marbled stone, the ownership of which remains with Ngāi Tahu.
Police action
At the end of March 2010, New Zealand Police executed search warrants at commercial pounamu retail and manufacturing outlets at Hokitika, where a substantial quantity of the unique variety of Snowflake Pounamu was seized.
This pounamu was the same variety which was the subject of successful Police prosecutions in 2005 and 2007 for theft. No mining licenses were ever issued by the Crown and no authority has ever been issued by Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu to remove and sell this pounamu.
Police and Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu believe there is a very substantial quantity of this stolen pounamu outstanding and that it is being slowly fed back into the market. Regardless of who currently possesses it, Police and Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu believe this pounamu remains the property of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu. Irrespective of the knowledge or lack of intent on the part of any person, no purchaser or receiver of stolen snowflake pounamu can give or receive good title to it by virtue of Section 23 of the Sale of Goods Act 1908.
What can I do?
You might have pounamu that looks like Snowflake, know someone who might have large amounts of what you think could be Snowflake Pounamu or you might be concerned with the authenticity of the pounamu in your store.
You can:
Download a Snowflake Pounamu Inquiry Form here, which can be posted or emailed Or contact us directly:
Jymal Morgan,
Development Advisor,
Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu
P O Box 13 046,
Christchurch 8141,
Te Waipounamu,
New Zealand
Email: jymal.morgan@ngaitahu.iwi.nz
Direct Dial 03 371 2633
Mobile 021 872 590
TOLL FREE: 0800 KAI TAHU
Contact for media: Leanne Scott,
Senior Communications Advisor,
021 272 1170
Become a licensed Pounamu Artisan / Purchaser
Genuine New Zealand pounamu authenticated under the Ngāi Tahu Authenticity Assurance Scheme bears a Ngāi Tahu Authenticated Pounamu certificate and unique traceability code.
Visit www.authenticgreenstone.com for more information on how to become licensed under the Ngāi Tahu Authenticity Assurance scheme.