Story: Te tāhere manu – bird catching

Pai Kanohi with calabashes

Pai Kanohi with calabashes

Pai Kanohi of the Ngāi Tūhoe tribe sits outside his whare in the early 1900s. Around him are tahā huahua, calabashes for birds preserved in their own fat. These potted birds were a vital part of the Māori diet, particularly as New Zealand had no native land mammals that could be used for meat. They were also traded between some tribes.

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Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: 1/2-019482-F

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Basil Keane, 'Te tāhere manu – bird catching - History of bird catching', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/11956/pai-kanohi-with-calabashes (accessed 20 April 2024)

Story by Basil Keane, published 24 Sep 2007