Dennis Ngawhare: My search for greenstone
(WorldNews New Zealand)

I once walked the greenstone trail. Around 12 years ago I went to Hokitika in search of pounamu (greenstone, or nephrite jade). You see, my full family name is Ngawhare-Pounamu (The Houses of Greenstone) from the tupuna (ancestor) Ngawharepounamu of Puniho Pa. At the time I didn`t have any greenstone so I really wanted another taonga. Unfortunately the tikanga (custom) of pounamu is that you can`t purchase it for yourself, it needs to be given as a gift. While nephrite jade is found in other countries (and particularly prized in Asia) in Aotearoa New Zealand, pounamu is only found on Te Tai Poutini (the West Coast). Traditionally the stone was prized by the tupuna (ancestors) of Maori for...