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Story: Tūranga i te hapori – status in Māori society

Two Māori women with slave girl

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Two Māori women with slave girl

Two Māori women pose with a girl in 1838. They were recorded as 'Amoko' and 'Eana', who were around 25 years old, and 'Hepee' a 13-year-old girl. Amoko was the daughter of a chief, and Hepee was one of her slaves. It is likely the names of the women and the girl have been anglicised.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: PUBL-0015-010-a

by Augustus Earle

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

Basil Keane, Tūranga i te hapori – status in Māori society – Class, status and rank, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/artwork/31125/two-maori-women-with-slave-girl (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Basil Keane, published 3 May 2011.