'People can die' - Greenstone mere thief could face spiritual, physical effects, expert says

Auckland University's Dr Ngarino Ellis says when tapu is broken, "people get sick, people can die".

As Ngāti Porou grapples with the theft of an important tribal taonga, they're also discussing the spiritual and physical ramifications those involved may face.

Earlier this month a mere pounamu named Pokaiwhenua was stolen from Auckland War Memorial Museum. A 26-year-old man has been charged with theft and wilful damage. However, the mere is still missing and the police are still appealing to the public to help find it.

Pokaiwhenua was held in a display case next to a carving of Iwirakau, a Ngāti Porou ancestor who is believed to have lived around 1700. That carving shows Iwirakau holding a carved version of Pokaiwhenua.

Auckland University's Head of Art History, Ngarino Ellis, wrote a book on Iwirakau and specialises in art crime and what that means in the Māori world.

Once news of the theft broke she watched online chatter turn to utu and the penalties in a spiritual sense that any alleged thief faced.

"When tapu is broken there are physical repercussions. People get sick, people can die. Simple. And I know this for a fact," Ms Ellis said.

"And when they die, they're not buried in the urupā…They are buried on the pathway to the urupā, so people step on them."

Ms Ellis is confident the taonga will be found and says mere pounamu are significant within Māori weaponry as a cleaver, not a club, made to be thrust into the top of the skull and with a flick of the wrist scalping victims. They could also open ribcages.

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