Nephrite jade was considered more valuable than gold or silver. Nephrite jade in New Zealand is known as "pounamu" in the Māori language, and is highly valued, playing an important role in Māori culture. It is considered a "taonga", or treasure, and therefore protected under the Treaty of Waitangi. The exploitation of it is restricted to Ngai Tahu and closely monitored. The South Island of New Zealand is "Te Wai Pounamu" in Māori — "The [land of] Greenstone Water" — because that is where it occurs. Weapons and ornaments are made of it; in particular the "mere" (short club), and the
The Forms (band) The Forms (band) The Forms are an American indie rock band from Queens, New York, whose style incorporates aspects of math rock, dream pop, and emo. The band members include Alex Tween (vox, keyboards) and Matt Walsh (drums, sequencers). The Forms released their debut album, "Icarus", in 2003. The album was recorded with legendary producer Steve Albini (Nirvana, Pixies, P. J. Harvey) at the helm. They worked with Albini again on their latest (self-titled) album, which was released in October 2007. The Forms recorded a cover of Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire" for Engine Room Recordings' compilation album