About this episode

The episode explores the significance of harakeke in Māori culture and its impact on New Zealand's history and ecology.

Why did a Māori chief ask a visiting English botanist how it was possible to live without a plant — and what does his bewilderment reveal about a civilisation built entirely around a single organism? How did European demand for rope fibre trigger the Musket Wars that reshaped the political map of Aotearoa before formal colonisation had even begun? And what does the ethics of harvesting — never cut the rito, never remove the heart — tell us about a way of relating to the natural world that almost disappeared and is now being slowly, carefully restored? Join John and Patrick as they tell the story of New Zealand and harakeke — the sixty varieties, the musket trade, and the plant that is simultaneously a lily, a philosophy, and a family... ---------- In Sponsorship with Cornell University: Dyson Cornell SC Johnson College of Business ----------- Join the History of Fresh Produce Club for ad-free listening, bonus episodes, book discounts and access to an exclusive chatroom community. Support us! Share this episode with your friends Give a 5-star rating Write a review ----------- Subscribe to our biweekly newsletter here for extra stories related to recent episodes, book…

People in this episode

Hosts: John, Patrick

Topics covered

• Māori culture
• botany
• colonization
• ethics of harvesting
• New Zealand history
• harakeke

Keywords

• harakeke
• Māori
• New Zealand
• Musket Wars
• botanist
• colonization
• rope fibre
• ethics
• natural world

Sponsors

Cornell University

Mentioned in this episode

Products: harakeke

Places: New Zealand, Aotearoa

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