Trading Taonga - The Story of Pounamu
Pounamu is a taonga with deep spiritual significance to Māori. Its beauty, usefulness, and cultural significance made it a highly prized resource that was traded throughout Aotearoa New Zealand.
About this resource
Series: Connected 2022 Level 4 – He māpihi maurea - A prized possession
Reading year level: 8
Category: Non-fiction
Topics: carving, mana, Māori economy, Ngāi Tahu, pounamu, Poutini, pūrākau, South Island, taniwha, taonga, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, trade, Treaty settlement, Waitaiki
Trading Taonga - The Story of Pounamu
Words by Matthew Rout (Ngāi Tahu)
This article explores the pounamu trade from the 1770s through to the present day, discussing the impact of colonisation on the trade of pounamu and how Ngāi Tahu regained kaitiakitanga of pounamu through the Treaty settlement process.
This resource is available as Google Slides and PDF. Teacher Support Material (TSM) is available in PDF and Word document.