Story: Kaitiakitanga – guardianship and conservation

When the huia became extinct, it was particularly serious for the Ngāti Huia tribe, as the bird was central to their identity. This 1888 print by John Gerrard Keulemans shows a pair of huia – the female is the one with the longer beak. Māori often likened themselves to native plants and animals that were becoming extinct.