Story: Māori smoking, alcohol and drugs – tūpeka, waipiro me te tarukino

Waiting for the train (2nd of 3)

Waiting for the train

By 1900, when these two were having a pipe while waiting for the train at Ōtaki station, some Māori were signing pledges not to smoke. Māori women were active in the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU), often with the support of senior men within their hapū or iwi. Although primarily associated with not drinking alcohol, the WCTU had a pledge which began, ‘He whakaae tēnei naku kia kaua ahau e kai tupeka’ (I pledge to abstain from smoking tobacco) before going on to assert abstinence from alcohol.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, Malcolm Ross Collection
Reference: 1/4-017586-G
Photograph by Malcolm Ross

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:

Megan Cook, 'Māori smoking, alcohol and drugs – tūpeka, waipiro me te tarukino - Māori use of tobacco', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/39862/waiting-for-the-train (accessed 29 September 2023)

Story by Megan Cook, published 5 Sep 2013