A tiki discovered in a 1000-year-old pa site in Bay of Plenty was finally returned to its rightful owners on Monday, after a three-year wait.
The greenstone carving was found at a construction site in Whakatane in 2007 and, since then, Te Runanga o Te Ngati Awa has been trying to claim ownership of it.
Runanga senior cultural adviser and deputy chairman Pouroto Ngaropo was very pleased the tribe has the tiki back.
"It belongs to everyone," he said.
The tiki was found by Hickeys Earthworks workman Shawn Cooper at the construction site of the Quayside apartment complex.
Human remains, hangi stones and middens which held food were also found at the site, which was confirmed as a 1000-year-old pa after an archaeological investigation in 1998.
However, the Protected Objects Act means any artefacts found after 1976 belong to the Crown.
This was to prevent taonga (treasure) being sold overseas.
If a tribe wants ownership of the artefact, it must notify the Ministry of Culture and Heritage and lodge a submission, explaining why the taonga is important to the tribe and establish a link between the tribe and the artefact.
The Maori Land Court then has to approve the application, which was done by Judge Patrick Savage on Monday.
This is the first submission Ngati Awa has made, but Mr Ngaropo thinks other iwi may be put off by the complexity of the process.
"But if you understand the process, it works very well - as it did for us."
The iwi plans to house the tiki and other taonga at a special exhibition area at the Te Manuka Tu Tahi marae complex on Muriwai Drive. Work on the $5.3 million project on the old Telecom site, which will also be home to the historic Mataatua wharenui, will start soon.
"Out of all the taonga we have, this is number one," said Mr Ngaropo.
NZPA