Should Pounamu Be Sold? Traditions, Tikanga, and Modern Trade

Should Pounamu Be Sold? A Closer Look at the Debate

If you have spent time around pounamu carvers, collectors or Māori communities, you have probably heard the question: “Should pounamu be sold?” It is a topic that brings up a lot of emotion because it sits at the point where cultural heritage, tradition and modern life all meet.

Why the Question Exists

Pounamu is not just a beautiful stone. In te ao Māori, it is a taonga with spiritual and ancestral significance. Because of this, some people feel uneasy about exchanging pounamu for money and believe it should always be gifted.

Others see selling as a modern continuation of something that has existed for centuries. Māori traded pounamu and other taonga long before Europeans arrived. The idea of exchange is not new. The only thing that has changed is the form that exchange takes.

The Perspective of Carver Lewis Tamihana Gardiner

Master carver Lewis Tamihana Gardiner offers a helpful way to understand this debate. He explains that Māori had active trade networks long before European contact. Pounamu and other taonga were exchanged for goods of value. Money simply did not exist in the traditional Māori economy.

When Europeans arrived, Māori traded for tools, fabrics and resources they wanted. In today’s world, money is just the modern version of those exchanged goods. Selling pounamu carvings can be understood as the same pattern of exchange, adapted to the present day. It is one respected perspective among many in te ao Māori.

You can watch Lewis’s full explanation here: Lewis Tamihana Gardiner – Pounamu and Commerce.

What About the Belief That Pounamu Should Only Be Gifted?

Many people have heard the idea that pounamu should only be gifted and never bought. This is a tikanga that some whānau and communities follow, and it is a beautiful practice that places intention and connection at the centre.

But it is not the only tikanga. Different iwi and whānau hold different practices. Historically, pounamu was traded between iwi and later with Europeans. That exchange was still meaningful.

Some people buy a piece for themselves and later gift it to someone they love. Others receive a taonga directly from a carver after purchasing it. What matters most is intention and respect. The mana of the stone remains strong when it is passed on with genuine care.

Why Selling Pounamu Supports the Survival of the Art

If every pounamu carving had to be gifted without any exchange, most carvers would not be able to continue. Tools, equipment, workshop space and the stone itself are all costly. Traditional reciprocal support is much harder to maintain in modern life.

Income allows carvers to keep working, teaching and passing on their knowledge. Selling pounamu, when the stone is legally sourced through iwi managed suppliers like Ngāi Tahu Pounamu, supports the survival of the craft rather than harming it.

So Should You Sell Pounamu Carvings?

If the carving is made with respect, the stone is sourced properly and the intention behind the exchange aligns with tikanga, then selling pounamu can be completely appropriate. It continues a long history of exchange that simply looks different today.

Selling supports the people who work with this taonga and helps keep the art alive for future generations.

If you enjoyed this kōrero and would like to support my carving and writing, you can do so here: buymeacoffee.com/ojade 💚