Police are investigating the brazen theft of a Māori battalion taonga from Te Rau Aroha Museum at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds.
The kauri gum treasure was on display when it was swiped in broad daylight, with CCTV appearing to show the involvement of two adults and a child.
It is 30cm long and weighs about 2kg. It was gifted to Te Rau Aroha when it opened in 2020 as a memorial to 'A'-company, known as the ‘gum diggers’.
According to curator Chanel Clarke, it was meant to symbolise the sacrifice of those men so all of the things they could have taken.
"This one cuts pretty deep," said Clarke.
Waitangi National Trust chairman Pita Tipene told 1News it is “unacceptable” to “take a symbol of a whare here that people love”.
"They love what it stands for which is the sacrifice our Māori soldiers [made], particularly the soldiers from up here, on behalf of this country in a place like Waitangi where it’s a representative of the price of citizenship."
Police are investigating the theft of the kauri treasure which is worth thousands of dollars. They were at the scene today and are currently reviewing CCTV footage.
Some believe the culprits could be local.
"I have no doubt that those people who came in here have ancestors have tupuna that are in this gallery, they probably have ancestors who fought and this is not the type of behaviour that is becoming of their whānau," said Clarke.
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