Story: Drugs

Kava being prepared in Fiji, 1900

Kava being prepared in Fiji, 1900

Kava, or yaqona, as it is known in Fiji, is a drink made from crushed roots of the kava plant. It is widely used in Polynesia and Melanesia but was not brought to New Zealand by the ancestors of the Māori. Kava is a mild sedative which relaxes users, especially in social situations. Some Pacific Island people continue to consume kava in New Zealand.

Using this item

Auckland War Memorial Museum Tamaki Paenga Hira
Reference: B475
Photograph by W. Beattie

Permission of the Auckland War Memorial Museum Tamaki Paenga Hira must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Jock Phillips, 'Drugs - Colonial drug-taking', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/39555/kava-being-prepared-in-fiji-1900 (accessed 27 April 2024)

Story by Jock Phillips, published 5 Sep 2013