Map of the district showing the locations where these two greywacke toki were found.

Greywacke toki dating from 1500–1700, found near Sheffield.

Canterbury Museum (E134.2.2)

Greywacke toki found near Darfield.

Canterbury Museum (E141.15)

Kai rekaSweet sustenance

These two toki (adzes) are probably specialist tools used for a Te Waipounamu sugar harvest. The harvest’s source was tī kōuka, the cabbage tree – a rākau found throughout Aotearoa, and a wonder plant.

Before Pākehā colonisation, large tī kōuka plantations were common throughout the plains and lower valleys of Te Waipounamu. During late spring and summer, when the tree’s sugar content was richest, its upper stems and taproots could be harvested. These were cut to length, stacked and cooked in massive hāki – pits as large as 20 by 30 metres have been recorded.

After a couple of days, the cooked tī kōuka would be beaten to separate the fibre from a sugar-rich mealy mass – te kāuru. This would be scraped out and dried in cakes for storage.

On display

Toki made of greywacke, probably used for splitting tī kōuka taproots, found near Darfield, Selwyn District

Toki made of greywacke, probably used for digging up tī kōuka taproots, found near Darfield, Selwyn District

On loan from Canterbury Museum (E134.2.2; E141.15)

Toki for splitting, found near Darfield

This toki made from greywacke was probably used for splitting the taproot of tī kōuka in the harvesting of sugar.

Tī kōuka had many traditional uses – as a food and a fibre. Most parts of the tree were consumed. The tender shoots were edible, although these were bitter. Young, inner leaves and heart could be eaten raw or cooked and South Island Māori were known to make a beverage from the root. Later, European missionaries and other settlers used the root to brew beer.

Tī kōuka, cabbage trees, Canterbury, 2013.

Photograph by Jon Sullivan, Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)

Toki for digging, found near Darfield

This toki made from greywacke was probably used for digging up the taproot of tī kōuka.

Tī kōuka leaves were used as a fibre - they were hardy and didn’t shrink in water. They were used to weave snares, make ropes for anchors, strengthen fishing nets, and were plaited into straps for carrying heavy loads. Paraerae (sandals) were often made from the leaves.

Tī-kouka-sm.jpg

Example of tī kōuka weaving, from Martha Hampton.

Courtesy of Janneen Love

Tī Kōuka - Ngāi Tahu Mahinga Kai

Tī Kōuka features in the Mahinga Kai video series produced by Ngāi Tahu. Watch the episode to learn about how Tī Kōuka once sustained whole communities as a food source, a textile and a marker in the landscape.

To watch the video, scan this QR code and the YouTube page will open on your device.