Police are asking the public for more information after a Pouwhenua carving at Ōtūherekio/ Pony Point Reserve in Cass Bay, Christchurch, was destroyed.
By Te Karere's Isobel Prasad
A post to Twitter by a member of the public showed the pouwhenua, named Kōauau o Tāne Whakapiripiri, severely damaged on the ground.
The Christchurch City Council said it was made aware of the attack on the pou earlier this morning, calling it a “senseless act of vandalism”.
“It’s very sad when the actions of an individual or a small group of people destroy an important cultural marker that many people have a connection to," said Christchurch City Council head of parks Andrew Rutledge.
The pou was carved by students from the Whakaraupō Carving Centre Trust in Lyttelton.
It was gifted to the council by te Hapū o Ngāti Wheke and installed at Pony Point in 2012.
The hapū are arranging to collect the pieces of the pou and remove the tapu from the site.
"The remains of Kōauau o Tāne Whakapiripiri will be returned to Rāpaki Marae," said Te Hapū o Ngāti Wheke Chair Manaia Rehu.
"This pou was created with aroha for everyone to appreciate. The site marked a traditional gathering place of manuhiri (visitors) before being welcomed to Rāpaki Mārae during a pōwhiri.
"Although saddened by this act of vandalism, we are encouraged by the tīpuna (ancestors) of Parihaka to follow their approach to dealing with this. We hope that we can continue to create and spread aroha."
Information can be provided to police by calling 105 and providing the file number 211107/6722.
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