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.
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
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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