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Story: Te mahi kai – food production economics

Māori harvesting seasons

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  • Ngā awa

  • Rangi

  • Moana

  • Whenua

The traditional food economy was based around the different seasons, as shown by this chart. Māori needed a complex understanding of the natural world to maximise harvesting.

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Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

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How to cite this page

Manuka Henare, Te mahi kai – food production economics – Calendar of work, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/interactive/20264/maori-harvesting-seasons (accessed 11 June 2026).

Story by Manuka Henare, published 12 April 2013.

Comments

Karen
19 February 2023
Kia ora. I know harakeke as flax. I can only find reference to hakeke as a type of mushroom. Where can I find reference to harakeke as mushroom please?