Green Stone

This is my item I brought, it’s a green stone, it’s been handed down through generations from my fathers side.  I think it’s eight generations so far that it’s gone through.  Every generation it goes to the youngest person and every generation has to take a piece off and make something from it and then you hand it down to the next generation.  And because the youngest in my family was actually my sister who passed away and then it was handed to me.  And this will be handed down to whoever is next in the family line.  And it means a lot to me and I wouldn’t go anywhere without it.  I brought it from New Zealand and it will stay with me until I’ve handed it down to the next generation.

Do you know how big the piece was in the beginning when it started?

I was told it was about that size (gestures with hands)  when it started.  And it was first cut by hand, it was actually taken from a part of my fathers land or his families land,sorry, and it’s been handed down ever since ...so...

Do you know what any of your ancestors made with their pieces?

Oh they were all necklaces eh, my fathers was a teardrop just handed down to the very first son of the family or the child of the family, which I lost in the end.  His grandfather and his father made....They’re called pounamus but he had made hand sort of weapons, that we used to use in the old ern times.  And the one before that ehm I think it was a necklace, a ring has been made out of it and something else.... I can’t remember.

And what are you planning on making out of it?

....Bits....I don’t know to be honest with you.  That is supposed to come to you. 

And do you have to be involved in the making of something or....?

It has to be made by you.

Oh...ok...

And nobody else, you can get a hand to cut it of course but I have to make it myself.

Oh that’s very interesting.

So you have to carve whatever item you want..

And that goes to the oldest person in the family that piece.

And the cut off?

And the cut off goes to the youngest so if you were born in between...Hard Luck!..No if you were born in between you get bits and pieces from it, really everybody gets a little piece.

It’s lovely, it would be great if you could get all the pieces lined up, that’s like a time line within itself.

Oh a lot of it has been lost...family has moved.

It’s a lovely colour.

Beautiful colour, when it’s actually cut that’s eh 40 years that hasn’t been cut, but it’s pure green.  When it’s cut and shiny. 

When it’s cut and polished

Beautiful, that’s my piece and I’d never leave without it.