This backpack was made from flax leaves. Māori could create a kete (basket) in a matter of minutes – there was no need to carry baskets when they could always be made from the flax which is widespread in New Zealand. Some baskets had an open-weave construction so that when kūmara (sweet potato) were collected, the soil would fall through the bottom, while the water from shellfish would drain away.
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Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
Photograph by Emma Dewson
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