they used it for ketes, weapons, clothes and capes
Flax is a plant that was used by early Maori to make things such as mats there is one :)
flax and cloaks
kohunga is a type of flax. Harakeke is the most commonly used Maori word for flax (Phormium Tenax). Muka is flax that has been prepared for use.
Harakeke = Flax
The Maori name for flax is "harakeke".
The plants they used was harakeke (maori word for Flax)
they used the branches of the trees to make axes and took greenstone out of the rivers to used the sharp bit on end.They also used the flax for things such as craypots and nets, rope and material to go on clothing!! the forest was a very important thing to the early maori setters.
Maori clothing was commonly made of both Plant fibres, particularly harakeke/ flax, and animal materials such as feathers and skins.
harakeke is Maori for flax
Pupu Harakeke is the Flax Snail (Placastylus ambagiasus).
A Maori puipui is a traditional woven flax skirt worn by Maori women for ceremonial occasions. It is adorned with decorative patterns and can vary in length and style depending on the region and purpose.
The Maori traditionally used a tool called a "muka" to cut flax leaves. This tool was made from a sharp, narrow-bladed stone or shell attached to a wooden handle. The Maori would carefully slice the flax leaves at an angle to extract the fibers for weaving and other purposes.