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Timber - Matai The tribal chiefs were held in the highest esteem by the old-time Maori. The Wakahuia were carved in many different shapes or forms but they all had one purpose in common as the name denotes - the canoe or receptacle for the feather of the Huia bird. The Huia, a now extinct native bird was considered a very tapu or sacred bird, because it was a rare species. The black with white-tipped tail feathers were worn is the hair as a sign of those of Rangatira or chiefly rank. They also housed other treasures that a chief could place inside and were then hung from the rafters so that people could not step over it and thus breaching tapu [belittling the chiefs status in the tribe]. This Wakahuia is covered in haehae and pakati. Haehae means to slice and Pakati means to cut deep, while the lid has a series of heads joined in various ways, some conversing, some ignoring one another. This Wakahuia is an original work of Maori art.