April 07, 2014
Stolen taonga up for auction
Stolen taonga up for auction
Descendants of Bay of Islands chief Te Pahi are investigating what they can do about the impending sale of a taonga stolen more than 200 years ago.
It’s a silver medal presented to Te Pahi in 1806 by New South Wales Governor Phillip King, which was looted by British whalers when his home on Motu Apo was attacked in misdirected revenge for the burning of the ship Boyd in 1810.
Sotheby’s in Sydney is auctioning the piece next week, and expects it could fetch up to half a million dollars.
Historian Diedre Brown, who is a member of Te Pahi’s Ngati Torehina hapu, says Te Papa Tongarewa is assessing whether it is genuine and whether it should bid.
The hapu is also considering whether it can stop the sale of what is clearly stolen property, as can be seen from an account by one of those in the raiding party which has recently been published.
" James Finucane’s account says ' A few Maori were killed, and the remainder throwing their arms up lept into the sea and swam to the mainland, leaving their kings house ( Te Pahi ) with the presents he had at various times been given from our government and from individuals as booty to the invaders ". For us its pretty clear its a description of all of Te Pahi's european taonga being stolen from his house. And we strongly suspect this would have been present as well. The bottom line is we want it back " she says.
Deidre Brown says the family selling the medal, who have held it for more than a century, may be unaware it was stolen.
FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH DEIDRE BROWN CLICK ON THE LINK
http://www.waateanews.com/play_podcast?podlink=MTY5MTA=
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