Pai Kanohi with calabashes

Pai Kanohi with calabashes

Pai Kanohi of the Ngāi Tūhoe tribe sits outside his whare in the early 1900s. Around him are tahā huahua, calabashes for birds preserved in their own fat. These potted birds were a vital part of the Māori diet, particularly as New Zealand had no native land mammals that could be used for meat. They were also traded between some tribes.