Book Description

‘Te Wahi Pounamu’, translated from Maori to mean, ‘The place of Greenstone’, is a book that recounts the history of Greenstone, how it got this name and where it was created. It’s a book that describes in detail the various varieties of Greenstone that occur on the Jade fields of Westland, the South Island’s West Coast of New Zealand. The title pays homage to the link between Maori and Greenstone, and there is a chapter devoted to a story told to me by a local Maori, Wally Tainui, which talks about the place of Greenstone. Most of the information shared within the book, however, is from my own personal experience; things I’ve seen, things I’ve heard and people I’ve met. When reading about likely locations of Greenstone within this book, It must be remembered that in 1997 the New Zealand Government introduced the Vesting Act. The Act placed protection over New Zealand’s National Stone, including Serpentine and all related minerals of what is known as the Amphibole group of minerals. There are still some places, such as on Westland’s beaches, where Greenstone hunters can keep what they find but legally Ngai Tahu are now officially the custodians who own and protect what’s left of a squandered resource. Through their custody Pounamu will be preserved for future generations ake ake (forever and ever). Alfred Moreton