Story: Tribal organisation
Traditionally the whānau or extended family group numbered between 20 and 30 people. They often had their own defined compound in the tribal settlement, and their own plot in the kūmara (sweet potato) field. This drawing shows members of a whānau working together to maintain their kūmara plot. The two men in the foreground use digging sticks to cultivate the soil, while the woman beside them digs with a kind of hoe. In the background two people carry kūmara in a flax kete (basket) suspended from a pole, while another woman plants kūmara.
About this item
Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: B-023-017
Pen and ink drawing by Russell Stuart Clark
Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.
