MAORI MEMORIES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 August 1940, Page 8

MAORI MEMORIES

MAORI POULTRY. (Recorded by J.H.S., of Palmerston North, for the "Times-Age.’’) With the scarcity of animal food and the complete absence of milk for adult nourishment, the Maori naturally acquired great interest and skill in the culture, capture and cooking of the birds, both flying and wingless. These also were selected for rich plumage to provide winter clothing, being worked into the hand-woven mats, in which rare taste and skill were brought to bear. In the absence of guns and snares, traps were made of flax fibre and the pliable supplejack (kareao). Great skill and ingenuity in imitating the call of various birds as a decoy, were acquired from childhood, as an essential pleasure in education, contrasting sharply With our youthful attitude to French, German and Latin lessons. The almost docile habit and great number of the largest known pigeon (kereru). coupled with the warmth and beauty of its plumage and the tasty tenderness of its flesh, made it a first favourite. The wingless birds were highly favoured. especially the long-extinct moa, whose giant bones were found in great numbers near the ancient earth ovens (umu). The kiwi, another non-flier. though tough, had a flavour all its own. The ground parrot (kakapo) was valued both for flesh and feathers. Grey duck (parera). swamp hen (pukeko). wood hen (weka), and the land rail imoeriki) were treasures. The sea birds—curlew, tern and mutton birds —were specially valued for the quantity of fat or oil. which, when melted, was collected in gourds (hue) and used to preserve the flesh of thousands. For smaller birds, the air bladders of a species of seaweed were used as containers. This rich food, unless strictly limited in use. caused eczema and similar skin troubles.