Court: Government must protect ancient buried canoe on Chatham Islands

A court has ruled the Government must protect the buried remains of Rangihoua, a 550-year-old Māori canoe on Rēkohu (Chatham Islands). The judge decided the whole canoe counts as discovered, even parts still underground — so the Ministry for Culture and Heritage must look after it. The Ministry had said it was only responsible for pieces already dug up.