Taonga pūoro

Taonga pūoro are the traditional musical instruments of the Māori people of New Zealand.

The instruments previously fulfilled many functions within Māori society including a call to arms, announcing the dawning of the new day, communications with the gods, and the planting of crops. They are significant in sacred rituals and also fulfill a story-telling role. Many of the sounds of the instruments and tunes are imitations of the sounds of nature, including the wind, the seas and the natural world of birds and insects.