Sixtus identified herself as an interested party and applied to the Māori Land Court in September 2025 for an interim injunction preventing any removal, conservation, or handling of the artefacts. The Māori Land Court dismissed her application, finding they lacked jurisdiction because her claim did not fall within the statutory definition of taonga tūturu. Sixtus appealed that decision to the Māori Appellate Court in December 2025, but her paperwork was rejected from the outset. “In our view, none of these sections is relevant to the Māori Land Court decision or the appeal before this Court,” the decision said. She also went into her interpretation of the word “Māori”, claiming the word was an invention.

Source: New Zealand Herald February 15, 2026 03:32 UTC