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Model of a Maori War Canoe (Waka Taua) measuring 55cm long.
Known as the Vikings of the East, the Maori ancestors were said to have meandered the Pacific in a fully carved War Canoe or Waka Taua using the moon, sun, stars and migration of birds as his only means of navigation.
A war party led by a chief (rangatira), would be made up of around 70 warriors, which was the average compliment of a war canoe. It was not uncommon, however, for a war canoe to carry up to 140 warriors. This was a "Te Hokwhitu a Tu".
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