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Fibre plant references

About these references - In the early 20th century, Sir Peter Buck (aka Te Rangi Hiroa) published books and articles about Māori material culture, often with diagrams detailing techniques, and photographs of an enormous array of items.

More recently, a few "how to" books have been published on techniques such as raranga and tāniko. Other than this, there are a few other books and articles about Māori uses of fibre, either today or in earlier times.

Jeanne Goulding (1971) provides key information for the identification of thirteen different fibre-plants from archaeological excavations and Ethnology collections in New Zealand. Her paper includes a list of references to Māori and some European uses of New Zealand plant fibres, and of fibre items in the Auckland Institute and Museum collection.

References about Maori uses of Fibre


Anderson, Atholl , ed. 1920 Ethnological Project  Otago University Press, in association with Otago Museum, Dunedin. Contains much detail about materials used by South Island Māori, including cultural significance

Auckland Museum Te Papa Whakahiku, 1997. Tukutuku Tuturu Maori: Education Kit. Available from www.akmuseum.org.nz.

Auckland Museum Te Papa Whakahiku, 1997. Raranga Tuturu Maori: Education Kit. Available from: www.akmuseum.org.nz.

Auckland Museum Te Papa Whakahiku, 2001. Te Mahi Kai: Māori Food Gathering: Education Kit. Years 1-10. Available from: www.akmuseum.org.nz.

Barton, Gerry, 1987. A Māori Birdman Kite in the Auckland Museum. Records of the Auckland Institute and Museum, 24:67-42.

Beattie, Herries, 1994. Traditional Lifeways of the Southern Māori. The Otago University Museum

Best, E., 1929. Fishing Methods and Devices of the Māori. Dominion Museum Bulletin No. 12, Wellington.

Bergin, D.O., and J.W. Herbert, 1998. Pingao on Coastal Sand Dunes: Guidelines for Seed Collection, Propagation and Establishments. Coastal Dune Vegetation Network Technical Bulletin No. 1. New Zealand Forest Research Institute Ltd, Rotorua.

Connor, J. 1983. A descriptive classification of Māori fabrics: cordage, plaiting, windmill knotting, twining, looping and netting. Journal of the Polynesian Society, 92:189-213. This article clarifies terminology to describe items of Māori fabric.

Evans, Jeff, 2002. Māori Weapons in Pre-European New Zealand. Reed: Auckland.

Goulding, Jeanne H., 1971. Identification of Archaeological and Ethnological Specimens of Fibre-Plant Material Used by the Māori. Records of the Auckland Institute and Museum, 8:57-101, December 17th 1971. Goulding identified thirteen different plant species used in items she saw in museum collections. By reading historical literature she noted a further ten plants that had been used.

Hamel, J. 1978. A Carved Phallic Sinker, Journal of the Polynesian Society, Vol. 87, 111-114

Hamilton, A., 1908. Fishing and Seafoods of the Ancient Māori. Dominion Museum Bulletin No. 2. Wellington.

Harris, Warwick, Herbert, Averil, and Jenny Oliphant, 1991. Pingao: the Golden Sand Sedge. Ngā Puna Waihanga / New Zealand Maori Artists and Writers: Rotorua.

Hiroa, Te Rangi, 1921. Māori food supplies of Lake Rotorua. NZ Institute Transactions. Wellington. Vol. 53, pp. 433-451.

Hiroa, Te Rangi, 1926. The Māori craft of netting. NZ Institute Transactions. Wellington. Vol. 56, pp. 597-646.

Hiroa, Te Rangi, 1926. Māori plaited basketry and plait work: 1, mats, baskets and burden-carriers. NZ Institute Transactions 54: 705-742.

Hiroa, Te Rangi.1927. The Material Culture of the Cook Islands Māori Purposes Fund Board, Whitcombe & Tombs, Christchurch.

Hiroa, Te Rangi, 1949. The Coming of the Māori . Māori Purposes Fund Board, Whitcombe & Tombs, Christchurch.

Hopa, Ngapare, 1971. The Art of Piupiu Making. Wellington: A.H. and A.W. Reed.

Huata, Ngämoni, 2000. The Rhythm and Life of Poi. Harper Collins: Auckland.

Irwin, G., 1975. The Kohika Site, Bay of Plenty. Historical Review 23:2, pp. 102-104.

Irwin, G., 2000. Te Kohika: an interim update. Historical Review Bay of Plenty Journal of History Vol. 48:2, pp.110 -114.

Knapp, F.V., 1940. Trawling Customs of the Tasman Bay Māoris . Journal of the Polynesian Society, Vol. 49. 375-81

Lander, Maureen, 1992. Fibre Fragments from the Raupa Site, Hauraki Plains. Records of the Auckland Institute and Museum, 29:7-3.

Lawrence, J., The Archaeology of the Waitakere Ranges. Unpublished MA Thesis, The University of Auckland. {Page 27 ff; 98 ff}

McAra, Sally, 2001. Māori fishing nets in the Canterbury Museum. Records of the Canterbury Museum, 15:83-99.

McAra, Sally, 2002. Kohika Fibrework. In Irwin, G.,( ed.), Kohika, The Archaeology of a Late Maori Lake Village in the Ngata Awa Rohe, Bay of Plenty p 149-159

Mair, G. 1923. Reminiscences and Māori Stories. Brett Publishing, Auckland.

Maysmoor, Bob, 2001. Te Manu Tukutuku: The Māori Kite. Steele Roberts: Wellington.

Mead, S. M. [aka Hirini Moko Mead], 1969. Traditional Māori Clothing: A Study of Technological and Functional Change. A.H. and A.W. Reed: Wellington. A detailed study, explaining techniques of manufacture, styles, ritual.

Mead, Hirini Moko, 1999. Te Whatu Tāniko: Tāniko Weaving Technique and Tradition. Reed: Auckland.

Moore, K.W., 1975. Kohika Site N68/104: A Preliminary Report. Historical Review 23:2, pp. 60-61.

NZPA (New Zealand Press Association), 20/8/98. Renewed Interest in Net-making The Christchurch Press, Christchurch.

O’Connor, Briar, and Libby Patterson, 2002. He Whai: Old and New String Figures from Aotearoa New Zealand. Reed: Auckland. String games, as documented by two former students of Maureen Lander. Also explains how to make muka fibre.

Pendergrast, M., 1984. Feathers and Fibre: A Survey of Traditional and Contemporary Māori Craft. Penguin: Auckland. Photographs by John Martin and Alex Wilson.

Pendergrast, M.,1986 (Revised edition). Te Mahi Kete: Māori Basketry for Beginners. Reed: Auckland.

Pendergrast, Mick, 1987. Fun with Flax. Reed Books, Birkenhead, Auckland, New Zealand.

Pendergrast, M., 1987. Te Aho Tapu: The Sacred Thread - Traditional Māori Weaving. Reed: Auckland. Shows many beautiful photographs by Brian Brake, of Māori cloaks in the Auckland Museum; discusses styles, ornamentation, techniques etc.

Pendergrast, M., 1995. Mick’s Workbook: Drawings and Notes on Māori Artefacts and Construction Techniques, Book 1. Unpublished notebook, Compiled by M. Lander, University of Auckland.

Pendergrast, M., 1991. Raranga Whakairo: Māori plaiting patterns. Auckland: Reed Books.

Pendergrast, M., 1996. The Fibre Arts. In D.C. Starzecka (ed.), 1996. Māori Art and Culture. David Bateman Ltd., in association with the British Museum: Auckland, pp. 114-146. This chapter is especially recommended for readers interested in Māori uses of fibres.

Phillipps, W.J., 1955. Fishing Appliances - Notes with Illustrations of Māori Material Culture. Dominion Museum Records in Ethnology, Vol. 1 No.4. Wellington. 151-5.

Ryan, P.M., 1989 (3rd ed.). The Revised Dictionary of Modern Māori . Heinemann: Auckland.

Salmond, A., 1991. Two Worlds: First Meetings Between Māori and Europeans 1642-1772. Viking, Auckland.

Scheele, S. and Walls, G. (1994). Harakeke: the Rene Orchiston Collection, Manaaki Whenua Press, Lincoln, New Zealand.

Shep, S.J., 1997, The Paper Record: Phormium tenax and New Zealand Papermaking, BSANZ Bulletin, v.21 no.3, 1997, 135-164

Starzecka, D.C. (ed.), 1996. Maori Art and Culture. David Bateman Ltd., in association with the British Museum: Auckland.

Tamati-Quennell, Megan, 1993. Pü Manawa: A Celebration of Whatu, Raranga and Täniko. Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa: Wellington. [Shows examples of work by many Maori fibre artists, and interviews with artists]

Trotter, Michael N., 1987. A Prehistoric Back-Pack from Inland Canterbury. Records of the Canterbury Museum, 10:2, pp.9-24. (May 1987)

Wallace, R.T, Irwin, G.J. and Neich, R 2004. Houses, pataka and woodcarving at Kohika. In Irwin, G.(ed.), "Kohika The archaeology of a Late Maori Lake Village in the Ngati Awa Rohe, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand". University of Auckland Press.

Williams, H.W., 1975 (7th edition). A Dictionary of the Māori Language. Shearer, Government Printer, Wellington.

Things in people’s lives


Appadurai, A. (ed.) 1986. The Social Life of Things: Commodities in a Cultural Perspective. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Kopytoff, I., 1986. The Cultural Biography of Things: Commoditization as Process. In A. Appadurai (ed.) The Social Life of Things: Commodities in a Cultural Perspective. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 64-91.

Indigenous research issues


Ballara, A., 1996. "Who owns Māori Tribal Tradition?" Journal of Pacific Studies, Vol 20, School of Social and Economic Development, pp.123-137.

Biolsi, T., and L.J. Zimmerman, 1997 (eds.). Indians and Anthropologists: Vine Deloria Jr and the Critique of Anthropology. Tucson: University of Arizona Press.

Deloria, V. (Jr.). 1997. Conclusion. In Biolsi, T., and L.J. Zimmerman, 1997 (eds.). Indians and Anthropologists: Vine Deloria Jr and the Critique of Anthropology. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, pp.209-221.

King, M., 1999. Being Pakeha Now: Reflections and Recollections of a White Native. Penguin: Auckland.

Kirton, J.D.1997. Pakeha / Tauiwi: Seeing the ‘Unseen’: Critical Analysis of Links between Discourse, Identity, ‘Blindness’ and Encultured Racism. Kirikiriroa / Hamilton: Waikato Anti-Racism Coalition.

Mead, S. M., 1997. "Māori Studies Tomorrow: Te Wananga i te Matauranga Māori ". In Landmarks, Bridges and Visions: Aspects of Māori Culture. Victoria University Press: Wellington, pp. 21- 38. (Originally this essay was a lecture delivered at the University of Auckland in 1983).

____________ 1990 "The Nature of Taonga" In Landmarks, Bridges and Visions: Aspects of Māori Culture. Victoria University Press: Wellington, pp. 179-189. (Originally this essay was published in Proceedings of the Taonga Māori Conference 1990:164-9).

Metge, J., and P. Kinloch, 1978. Talking Past Each Other: Problems of Cross-cultural Communication. Victoria University Press: Wellington.

Royal, C., (Te Ahukaramu), 1992. Te Haurapa: An Introduction to Researching Tribal Histories and Traditions. Bridget Williams Books: Wellington.

Ramsden, I., 1993 in conversation with R. Capper and A. Brown. "Doing it for the Mokopuna". In W. Ihimaera (ed.), Kaupapa New Zealand: Vision Aotearoa. Bridget Williams Books: Wellington, pp.254-262.

Ritchie, J., 1992. Becoming Bicultural. Huia Publishers: Wellington.

Said, E., 1978. Orientalism: Western Conceptions of the Orient. Penguin: Harmondsworth.

Smith, G. Hingaroa, 1991. In Absentia: Māori Education Policy and Reform. Monograph No. 4, University of Auckland.

Smith, Linda Tuhiwai, 1999. Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous People. New York: Zed Books.

Te Awekotuku, N., 1991. He Tikanga Whakaaro: Research Ethics in the Māori Community: A Discussion Paper. Manatu Maori/The Ministry of Māori Affairs: Wellington.