Kōrero: Pounamu

Whārangi 1. Pounamu

Ngā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero

Ko ngā ingoa a te Pākehā mō te pounamu, ko te greenstone, ko te New Zealand jade. He taonga nui te pounamu hei taonga kahurangi, hei whao, hei rākau whawhai hoki. He ingoa tō tēnā iwi, tō tēnā iwi mō te pounamu, arā, ko te:

  • pounamu te ingoa tūturu a te Māori.
  • greenstone te kupu a te Pākehā i ngā rau tau o 1800 me 1900; heoi, kei te nui haere te huri ki te kupu pounamu.
  • New Zealand jade. He ingoa tēnei ka whakarite i te pounamu ki tētahi kōhatu āhua rite o tāwāhi kīia ai ko te jade.

Ngā momo pounamu

E whā ngā momo pounamu, ka wehea i runga i te tae me te whakatīaho: kawakawa, kahurangi, īnanga, tangiwai. He nephrite te kahurangi, te īnanga, te nephrite; he bowenite te tangiwai. Arā anō ngā ingoa o tēnā iwi, o tēnā iwi mō te pounamu, i runga i tōna tae me tōna whakatīaho.

Te nephrite me te bowenite

Kitea nuitia ai te nephrite. He manawa whenua konupūmā-konupora (calcium-magnesium) nō te tōpūtanga amphibole. Mā te nui o te rino ka kaha atu te kākarauri o te pounamu.

Ko Piopiotahi (Milford Sound) anake te wāhi o Aotearoa ka kitea te bowenite. He manawa-whenua rino-konupora (iron-magnesium). He rerekē, he whakatīaho, he kōpikopiko tōna āhua.

Jade

E rua ngā momo jade ka orohia ki tāwāhi, ko te nephrite me te jadeite. Kāore he jadeite ki Aotearoa, kāhore hoki he bowenite i roto i te jade.

Ngā wāhi o te pounamu

Ko Te Wai Pounamu anake te wāhi kitea ai te pounamu. Nō konei tapaina tuatahitia ai taua moutere ko Te Wāhi Pounamu; ka haere te wā, ā, ka huri te ingoa ki Te Wai Pounamu.

Ko ngā wāhi mahi pounamu a te Māori onamata i Te Wai Pounamu, ko ngā awa o Taramakau me Arahura i Te Tai Poutini, te tonga o Te Tai Poutini, tatū ki ngā tahatika o te roto o Wakatipu i Ōtākou. Ko Piopiotahi (Milford Sounds) anake te wāhi mō te tangiwai.

I ngā rā ki mua ko te awa o Arahura te tino wāhi mō Poutini Ngāi Tahu (Ngāi Tahu ki Te Tai Poutini) ki te mahi pounamu, kei te komititanga o te awa o Arahura me te kōawa o Waitaiki (Olderog).

Te wāhi nui o te pounamu

Ko Te Wai Pounamu anake te wāhi ki Aotearoa ka kitea te pounamu; whai anō he hononga tata tō Ngāi Tahu ki te pounamu. Ka manakotia nuitia te pounamu mō tōna kaha, tōna mārō, tōna ātaahua. Heoi, ahakoa tōna rerehua me tana pai hei taonga whai kiko, kei runga rawa ake tōna nui. Nā te mea he taonga te pounamu nā te rangatira, he taonga hoki hei whakamārire i te riri, he mana nui, he tapu nui te pounamu. He taonga nui rawa atu te pounamu ki ngā iwi katoa o Aotearoa. Ka nui ngā tauhokohoko mō te pounamu puta noa i Te Ika-a-Māui.

Kupu tāpiri
  1. Quoted in Elsdon Best, Stone implements of the Maori . Wellington: Government Printer, 1974, p. 175. › Back
Me pēnei te tohu i te whārangi:

Basil Keane, 'Pounamu - Pounamu', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/mi/pounamu/page-1 (accessed 20 March 2024)

He kōrero nā Basil Keane, i tāngia i te 12 Jun 2006