Pounamu: The Story Behind New Zealand Greenstone

Also known as New Zealand jade or greenstone, you may be familiar with Aotearoa’s iconic pounamu already. It is a symbol of our country as familiar as the Kiwi bird and the mighty All Blacks but do you know the cultural significance behind it and understand its history? Well, what are you waiting for? Let’s dig into it!

What is Pounamu and why is it significant?

Pounamu is used to describe several types of (mostly) green-hued durable stone found in only a few locations in southern New Zealand. It is highly valued as a taonga (treasure) partly because of its rarity but mostly because it plays an important role in Māori culture.

In geological terms, pounamu is another term for nephrite and bowenite, types of jade gemstone formed millions of years ago beneath the volcanic rocks that make up Aotearoa. 

Traditionally, pounamu has been seen as a sacred material, revered for its strength and beauty, as well as being used for the creation of tools, weapons, jewellery and talismans. Māori symbols carved into pounamu carry spiritual significance as well as links to ancestors and pakiwaitara (storytelling), while each type of stone has been given an identity connecting it to the world around us, named after native birds, plants and specific locations.

The Legend:

According to Māori legend, Poutini the taniwha (supernatural being) was a guardian of pounamu who swims up and down the west coast of the South Island. One day he travelled north to the Bay of Plenty and came across a beautiful woman named Waitaki and instantly fell in love.

 

Although she was married to another man, a chief named Tamaahua, Poutini was so enchanted that he stole Waitaki away to the South Island. Tamaahua followed in pursuit to rescue his wife so, fearing that he would be caught, Poutini transformed Waitaki into his own image of pounamu and laid her in a riverbed so that he could keep her forever and evade capture. It is thought that all locations where pounamu is found today are where Poutini travelled during his flight with Waitaki, with the richest sources being her resting place around the Arahura River. When the chief discovered his wife turned to stone he let out an enormous tangi (cry of grief) which some say can still be heard echoing through the mountains to this day.

What is it used for? 

Pounamu has been used throughout Māori history to make tools such as the toki (adze – a bit like an axe), whao (chisels) and ripi pounamu (knives), which were used in everyday life to shape wood. The stone was additionally carved into Mere pounamu (weapons) which were considered some of the most valuable items, symbolic of chieftainship alongside toki poutangata (war adze) carried by chiefs to show their authority. Many of these items were passed down through generations, becoming tribal heirlooms with great mana (status) and seen as tapu (sacred) so often used for peace agreements between tribes.

Jewellery was also made from Pounamu including earrings, rings and necklaces which were carved into various symbolic shapes that healed, protected or connected the wearer to their land and ancestors. These pendants are the forms most synonymous with Pounamu nowadays, with the Hei-Tiki, a human form, being the most famous shape.

Some of the symbolic shapes for pounamu pendants: 

• Hei-tiki – a human form usually worn by women to aid fertility and protection.
• Toki – a tool such as an adze or blade which is associated with power and strength.
• Hei matau – a fish hook representing connections to the ocean and endows the wearer with safety and good health while travelling.
• Koru – an unfurling fern that signifies new life and beginnings. 
• Manaia – a mythological guardian with the head of a bird, body of man and tail of fish to represent the sky, earth and sea.
• Pikorua – a twist used throughout Māori symbology to represent the journey of life, friendship and eternity.

Bear in mind that Māori tradition dictates that you should not carve or buy a pounamu item for yourself wherever possible, it should be gifted to someone in the same way the stone has been gifted to us from the land.

Where can it be found?

As the spectacular landscapes of Aotearoa have evolved over millions of years, the rivers and glaciers have revealed the wealth of pounamu hidden beneath the land. All genuine pounamu is sourced from riverbeds and larger boulders on New Zealand’s South Island, mostly on the West Coast, and each stone’s unique markings and colour vary depending on its source. Deposits were considered so significant that the island was originally named after it – Te Wāhi Pounamu (the place of pounamu).

The Arahura River is one of the richest and most sacred pounamu regions and is located just north of the little town of Hokitika, earning it the unofficial title of ‘Greenstone capital of the West Coast’.

In 1997 the Ngāi Tahu tribe became the legal kaitiaki (guardians) of all New Zealand Pounamu so they are the only ones with permission to extract it from the land for commercial or tribal use. Fossicking for small stones and pebbles is still allowed by individuals but it must only be done on west coast beaches (it’s best between Milford Sound and Greymouth after heavy rainfall) but nowhere else and you must never take away more than you can physically carry.

You can experience the beauty and cultural importance of pounamu on one of our awesome Haka Tours that include the journey along the incredible western shores of New Zealand’s south island. You can even learn to carve your own pounamu pendant on any of our small group NZ tours that go through Franz Josef. Alternatively, you can get in touch with our Private Groups team to organise a bespoke guided or self-drive tour and include a focus on the history and stories around pounamu!