PRICELESS CANOE SAWN TO PIECES

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 202, 15 November 1927, Page 16

PRICELESS CANOE SAWN TO PIECES

TRIBE CLAIMS DAMAGES “YOU VANDAL,” SAYS S.M. (Special to THE SUN.) GISBORNE, Monday. “You vandal,” said Mr. E. C. Levvy, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court at Port Awanui, “what do you mean by cutting up such a priceless relic?” The case concerned the destruction of an historic Maori canoe, which some months ago was sawn into pieces by Kereama (Graham) Aupori. This led to a claim for £7O damages by a paramount chief of the Ngatirangi tribe, Pene Heihi, who claimed ownership of the relic. To the magistrate’s question, Aupouri replied that he did it because the canoe was broken. “.jrell him I do not believe him,*’ said Mr. Levvy to the interpreter. The canoe which was named “Whakatataranuiaira,” was 42ft long, and was hewn from a totara log in 1874. It had been in existence for many years, and the tree from which' it had been cut had been shielded from time immemorial. USED TIMBER FOR PORCH Prior to March of this year defendant, without any authority, took the canoe and cut it into pieces, using the timber in the erection of a porch for his house. The canoe-was an extremely valuable one, it had been valued at from £2OO to £3OO. Such relics could not be procured to-day and it had been the intention of the plaintiff never to part with it for money, but that when he was about to die it should be given to one of the museums in New Zealand. In evidence the defendant said the value of the canoe when he cut it up was about £lO. It had been neglected, he said, and was split from end to end. The mother of the defendant stated the canoe had been broken by children who had used it as a see-saw, causing it to split from end to end. She told her son to cut it up and it was now at their home in pieces. The Magistrate: And she thinks she can destroy tribal property like that. Well, she shall be left to her chief to deal with her. “I have already expressed my opinion regarding this young man,” added the magistrate, “and it is now only a matter of deciding what shall be allowed the plaintiff as the representative of the tribe. The sum of £7O seems a lot, but in view of the evidence that it was in a sufficient state of preservation to be put in a museum, I do not think it is too much. The plaintiff therefore will be allowed the full amount of the claim with full costs.”