Taonga
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Taonga is the Māori word for a treasured thing, whether tangible or intangible. Tangible examples are all sorts of heirlooms and artefacts, land and fisheries. Intangible examples include language, radio frequencies and riparian rights.
The Māori names of many New Zealand museums contain the term Whare taonga— literally "treasure house".
The word taonga has constitutional significance in New Zealand, as article two of the Treaty of Waitangi guaranteed that the Māori signatories would retain the possession and enjoyment of their taonga under British rule.
