SOURCE1 Taking notes on the r̄ahui and the extinction of the moa
R ̄ahui is a form of tapu that the M̄aori used to limit resource use. For example, r̄ahui could be imposed over an area to prevent the gathering of food while the land recovered. It helped to conserve limited food supplies and other natural resources. All M̄aori tribes accepted the principles of r̄ahui . Unfortunately, r̄ahui came too late for the moa. Although the young birds were an important food source of the Haast’s eagle, the adult moa lacked any natural predators prior to human settlement. The moa became an abundant and important food source, with both the meat of the bird as well as its large eggs providing a lifeline for the M̄aori. The bones of the bird were used to make ornaments and ýshhooks, and even the shells of the giant eggs were used to carry water. The meat of the moa could be preserved and became a valuable trading good. Archaeologists believe the moa was hunted to extinction by the ýfteenth century. As a result, the Haast’s eagle also disappeared into history. As you will see, this had a huge impact on the M̄aori people.
1.9.3
Letmedo it
1.9 ACTIVITIES 1. Read SOURCE2 and follow steps 1 and 2 to make your own notes.
After you have written your dot point notes, compare them with someone else in the class. You should both have similar information. To reýne your note-making skills, continue practising using any of the text in this topic.
SOURCE2 Taking notes on the hangi
The M̄aori diet was a combination of the cultivated vegetables brought from Polynesia, such as taro and yams, and the meat from birds, ýsh, dogs and rats. The abundance of seafood, including seaweed, dolphins, whales and seals, provided additional variety to the M̄aori meal. The village cooking was not done within the whare (house), but was generally a communal task done in an earth oven, known as hangi or utu . The men made the hangi by digging a deep pit and covering it with wood that was set alight. Large river stones placed on the wood pile became very hot and eventually fell into the pit. The hot stones were covered with baskets of food wrapped in wet leaves. Layers of soil and wet mats were piled over the food. The heat created steam from the wet leaves, which cooked the food over the course of a few hours. The boiling pools and streams of the North Island region of Rotorua provided the M̄aori with another unique method of cooking. Small ovens were built around the vents where water and steam bubbled up through the ground. Food placed in these ovens was quickly cooked.
SOURCE3 The taro, a Polynesian vegetable, was part of the M̄aori diet.
2. a. Explain how the concept of r̄ahui was used to manage natural resources. b. Given this information, explain why the moa became extinct. 3. How did the extinction of the moa have an impact on other aspects of the environment and on the M̄aori lifestyle? 4. Explain why the village cooking was not done indoors. 5. Explain how the preparation of food was an important communal activity for the M̄aori. 6. How did the M̄aori use natural resources to bring variety to their diet?
Jacaranda Humanities Alive 8 Victorian Curriculum Third Edition
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