CULTURAL CONSTRAINTS AND CORROSIVE COLONIZATION: WESTERN COMMERCE IN AOTEAROA/ NEW ZEALAND AND THE EXTINCTION OF THE HUIA (Heteralocha acutirostris)

Authors

Clark S. Monson, Brigham Young University, Provo, UTFollow

Abstract

Early Maori occupation of New Zealand was marked by profligate use of avian resources and the resultant extinction of numerous species including the archipelago's famed moas. As in other Polynesian cultures, however, Maoris came to adopt conservation strategies. I suggest that the Maori conservation technique of tapu or rahui - chiefly prohibitions governing the harvest of vulnerable biological resources - offers crucial insights for modern managers. The former efficacy of rahui is examined through a detailed case study of an extinct New Zealand bird - the huia. Formerly protected by the cultural and religious potency of tapu, the huia met a tragic demise as culturally enforced constraints upon its use were abandoned in order to satisfy European demand for its mounted effigies and tail feathers. The plight of the huia provides a compelling lesson concerning the destructive consequences of cultural erosion and commerce in rare species.

Recommended Citation

Monson, Clark S. (2005) "CULTURAL CONSTRAINTS AND CORROSIVE COLONIZATION: WESTERN COMMERCE IN AOTEAROA/ NEW ZEALAND AND THE EXTINCTION OF THE HUIA (Heteralocha acutirostris)," Pacific Studies Journal: Vol. 28: No. 1, Article 4.
Available at: https://digitalcollections.byuh.edu/pacific-studies-journal/vol28/iss1/4