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Kōrero: Economic history

Waka huia

Image
Waka huia

A waka huia is a treasure box, which was used by Māori to hold precious adornments such as hei tiki (pendants) and huia feathers for dressing the hair. Although Māori had a subsistence economy, they had enough time and resources to produce purely ornamental objects such as this.

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Reference: WE000946

Permission of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

Ngā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero

Me pēnei te tohu i te whārang

Brian Easton, Economic history – Early Māori economies, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/object/24314/waka-huia (accessed 4 June 2026).

He kōrero nā Brian Easton, i tāngia i te 12 April 2010.