Nā Shakayla Andrews-Alapaki tēnei atikara.
“It hasn’t been too long since pōua passed away, only two years. To have to find a way to grieve and accept that possibly we might not see these taonga again, I think it’s definitely adding to our mamae, our hurt”
A plea from Puawai Wallace-Swindells: six sacred taonga were stolen in a break-in at Te Hui Amorangi o Te Waipounamu, including a crozier that belonged to her poua, the late Bishop Richard Wallace. The stolen items include the crozier, a Kōkōpu pounamu, a pounamu touchstone from Arahura, a chalice, a pūtātara and a tokotoko from Hawaii. All had been kept in the offices at Te Hui Amorangi o Te Waipounamu.
Wallace-Swindells says the whānau discovered that her aunty, Susan Wallace’s office, had been broken into in the early hours of Wednesday morning, with a back window smashed.
“They carry all of Bishop Richard’s mauri, and these taonga carry the mauri of his whānau”
The late Bishop Richard Wallace was the first Ngāi Tahu Māori Bishop in Te Waipounamu, ordained in 2017, and previously served as the ūpoko of Kāti Māhaki, a Ngāi Tahu hapū on the West Coast. He also served in the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) as an air framer in 1964 and was awarded the Queen’s Service Medal in the 2009 New Year Honours for his services to Māori. Bishop Wallace passed away in January 2025
“Our biggest hope is that they are returned so that we can move forward and continue pōua’s great legacy which is to serve”
The whānau are urging anyone with information to come forward to help return the precious taonga. They ask that items be returned to Te Hui Amorangi o Te Waipounamu, or that anyone with information contact Canterbury Police on 105, quoting file number 260212/0585.
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He whānako tapu: te kahakina o ngā taonga mai i te whare karakia.
“It hasn’t been too long since pōua passed away, only two years. To have to find a way to grieve and accept that possibly we might not see these taonga again, I think it’s definitely adding to our mamae, our hurt”
He inoi tēnei nā Puawai Wallace-Swindells. Kua kahakina e ono ngā taonga mai i tētahi whānako haupatu kei Te Hui Amorangi o Te Waipounamu, ko tētahi o ngā taonga, he Crozier nā tōna poua, a Bishop Richard Wallace. Ko ngā taonga, he Crozier, he pounamu Kōkōpu, he pounamu nō Arahura, he Chalice, he Pūtātara, ka mutu, he tokotoko nō Hawaii. E noho ana ēnei taputapu ki ngā tari o Te Hui Amorangi o Te Waipounamu.
E ai ki a Wallace-Swindells, i kitea i te pākarukaru o tētahi matapihi kei te tari o tōna whaea kēkē, a Susan Wallace i te ata o te wenerei.
“They carry all of Bishop Richard’s mauri, and these taonga carry the mauri of his whānau”
Ko Pihopa Richard Wallace te Pihopa tuatahi nō Ngāi Tahu kei Te Waipounamu, nō te tau 2017 i tūātea ia ki te tūranga nei, ā, koia hoki te ūpoko o mua mō te hapū o Kāti Māhaki, kei Te Tai Poutini. Nō te tau 1964, I uru atu a Wallace ki Te Tauarangi (Royal New Zealand Air Force) hei Air Framer, ka mutu, i te tau 2009 i whakawhiwhia e ia te tohu hīranga o te kuini mō ana mahi ratonga ki te iwi Māori.
“Our biggest hope is that they are returned so that we can move forward and continue pōua’s great legacy which is to serve”
E tono ana te whānau ki te hunga e mōhio ana kia whakahokia mai ngā taonga kua tāhaetia ki te whare o Te Hui Amorangi o Te Waipounamu. Tēnā, whakapā atu hoki ki ngā pirihimana o Waitaha mā runga i te waea ‘105’ , ka mutu, whakamahia te nama kōrero ‘260212/0585’