The same museum is home to an early Māori carving, known as either Uenuku or Te Uenuku, which is of extreme significance both to the local Tainui Māori people and also for its archaeological value.
Tainui | Tainui (iwi) |
"Certain tribes appear to have emphasised their canoe migration tradition and descent from crew members more than the others. In particular, the Hauraki, Waikato, and King Country tribes (Tainui canoe) and the Rotorua and Taupo tribes (Te Arawa canoe) appear to have placed special emphasis on their descent from a particular canoe migration" (Biggs 1966:451).