Waewae Pounamu

Waewae Pounamu is a small, hapū-owned New Zealand business that sources, carves and sells traditional and contemporary pounamu (greenstone) treasures. It is based in Hokitika on the West Coast of the South Island and operates under the umbrella of Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Waewae, the council of the Ngāti Waewae hapū, a sub-tribe of the Ngāi Tahu iwi. The business also trades as 'Waewae Pounamu l Waewae Gold', reflecting an additional line of gold jewellery alongside its pounamu carvings. The company's core activity is the carving and retail of pounamu, the sacred greenstone of the South Island. Its pieces are sold through its own online store and physical presence, and it also distributes orders for commercial clients including companies and universities. In addition, Waewae Pounamu wholesales for Ngāi Tahu Pounamu, which then distributes taonga to more than 70 stores nationwide. This dual role — as a carver-retailer and as a wholesale supplier within the wider Ngāi Tahu network — places it within the formal structure of tribal pounamu management. A defining feature of the brand is its participation in the Ngāi Tahu Pounamu Authentication Scheme. Every authentic Waewae Pounamu piece carries a unique traceability barcode that, when entered online, identifies the origin and history of the carving. This system guarantees that the stone was obtained by legitimate means and treated with appropriate cultural care. The authentication framework exists because, in 1997, the New Zealand Government returned the rights of greenstone ownership to Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu through the iwi Deed of Settlement, given effect by the Ngāi Tahu (Pounamu Vesting) Act 1997. Ngāi Tahu are therefore the kaitiaki (guardians) of all South Island greenstone within their takiwā (tribal boundary), the only known source of authentic New Zealand pounamu. Waewae Pounamu's product range includes carved pounamu pieces such as beads and pendants, as well as gold jewellery. Featured gold items have included 14kt gold teardrop and diamond shape pendants and 18kt gold rectangle and cross pendants. Pounamu pieces are described by stone type, such as kawakawa. The business presents itself as providing genuine New Zealand greenstone carved by local artisans, with cultural care embedded in its sourcing and treatment of the stone. The brand's identity is inseparable from the history and guardianship traditions of Ngāti Waewae. The hapū traces its connection to the pounamu resource through the chief Tūhuru Kokare, who led Ngāi Tahu's campaign to the greenstone sources of the Arahura and Māwhera (Grey) regions and whose people became known as Poutini Ngāi Tahu, the Ngāi Tahu people of the West Coast. The local Māori community is still directed by Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Waewae, based near Hokitika in Arahura. Waewae Pounamu thus operates as both a commercial enterprise and a contemporary expression of that enduring guardianship.

Waewae Pounamu is a hapū-owned business rooted in the guardianship traditions of Ngāti Waewae, a hapū of the Ngāi Tahu iwi of New Zealand's South Island. Its history is inseparable from the wider story of pounamu (greenstone) and the people who have guarded it on the West Coast. The hapū's ancestral narrative centres on Tūhuru Kokare, a chief of Ngāti Waewae who reached adulthood in the eighteenth century. During that turbulent period in the Māori history of the South Island, Ngāi Tahu went to the source of greenstone in the Arahura and Māwhera (Grey) regions of the West Coast and fought with the local people, Ngāti Wairangi. Tūhuru led this campaign, starting at Karamea in the north and gradually working his way down the coast. The final defeat of Ngāti Wairangi took place in the Paparoa Range, after which a meeting of Tūhuru and his party was held at Rūnanga. Tūhuru and his people then established a new pa at Māwhera and settled there. They became known as Poutini Ngāi Tahu, the Ngāi Tahu people of the West Coast. As the trade in greenstone grew more valuable, so did the threat from outsiders. Tūhuru defended his land and its pounamu against the Ngāti Tūmatakōkiri, a tribe from the north, and later against the Ngāti Rārua from Paturau near the Whanganui. This legacy of defence and guardianship is central to the identity of the hapū. The local Māori community is still directed by Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Waewae, the council based a short distance from the township of Hokitika in Arahura. A pivotal modern development came in 1997, when the New Zealand Government returned the rights of greenstone ownership to Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, the elected tribal council of the iwi, through the iwi Deed of Settlement. This was given effect through the passing of the Ngāi Tahu (Pounamu Vesting) Act 1997 on 25 September 1997. The settlement recognised that in selling land to the Crown in the previous century, Ngāi Tahu never intended to give up ownership of the highly prized pounamu resource. With the legislation passed, ownership of pounamu returned to Ngāi Tahu, making the iwi the kaitiaki of all South Island greenstone within their takiwā (tribal boundary) — the only known source of authentic New Zealand pounamu. This was a major moment both for the tribe and for the greater identity of Aotearoa. To protect pounamu in a sustainable and responsible way for future generations, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu developed an authentication system to certify products made from genuine New Zealand greenstone, similar to systems used in the diamond, wool and organic food industries. Waewae Pounamu is proud to be part of this Ngāi Tahu Pounamu Authentication Scheme. All authentic Waewae Pounamu pieces carry a unique traceability barcode that, when entered online, identifies the origin and history of the carving, guaranteeing that the stone was obtained by legitimate means and treated using appropriate cultural values. As a commercial entity, Waewae Pounamu operates as a small, hapū-owned business that sources, carves and sells traditional and contemporary pounamu treasures. It distributes orders for commercial clients, including companies and universities, and wholesales for Ngāi Tahu Pounamu, which then distributes taonga to more than 70 stores nationwide. The business also trades as 'Waewae Pounamu l Waewae Gold', offering gold jewellery alongside its pounamu range. Its online store features items such as pounamu beads and 14kt and 18kt gold pendants. In this way, the enterprise carries the hapū's centuries-old relationship with pounamu into a contemporary commercial setting, combining artisan carving, cultural authentication and retail distribution.

• Ngāi Tahu (Pounamu Vesting) Act 1997 passed on 25 September 1997, returning ownership of pounamu to Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu.

• Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu develops the Ngāi Tahu Pounamu Authentication Scheme to certify genuine New Zealand greenstone products.

• Waewae Pounamu operates as a hapū-owned business sourcing, carving and selling pounamu, and wholesaling for Ngāi Tahu Pounamu to 70+ stores nationwide.

Authentic, culturally cared-for New Zealand pounamu carved by local artisans, backed by the Ngāi Tahu Pounamu Authentication Scheme and hapū guardianship.

• Pounamu Bead

  A carved pounamu bead, stone type kawakawa, priced at $72.00 and carrying the Ngāi Tahu Pounamu authentication barcode.

• 14kt Gold Teardrop Shape Pendant

  A 14-karat gold pendant in a teardrop shape, listed at $743.00.

• 14kt Gold Diamond Shape Pendant

  A 14-karat gold pendant in a diamond shape, listed at $379.00.

• 18kt Gold Rectangle Pendant

  An 18-karat gold rectangular pendant, listed at $1,501.00.

• 18kt Cross Pendant

  An 18-karat gold cross pendant, listed at $1,574.00.

1. 1Authentic New Zealand Pounamu (Greenstone) – Waewae Pounamu l Waewae Goldwaewaepounamuwaewaegold.com
2. 2HĪTŌRIA | HISTORY – Waewae Pounamu l Waewae Goldwaewaepounamuwaewaegold.com
3. 3KO WAI MĀTOU | ABOUT US – Waewae Pounamu l Waewae Goldwaewaepounamuwaewaegold.com
4. 4Pounamu Bead – Waewae Pounamu l Waewae Goldwaewaepounamuwaewaegold.com
5. 5Waewae Pounamu – Wikidatawikidata.org