New research reveals complex relationship between Māori and kurī

Tuesday, 19 April 2022

Talking with experts from Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga. (Audio first aired August 2021).

New research has revealed the incredible relationship between Māori and kurī dogs in the centuries before European settlement.

Considered to be New Zealand's first dog, kurī arrived in New Zealand with Polynesian navigators more than 700 years ago in the late 13th century, but died out in the 19th century, following the arrival of European settlers and their dogs.

Led by University of Auckland postgraduate student Patricia Pillay the study – Canine Companions or Competitors? A Multi-proxy Analysis of Dog-Human Competition – published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, revealed kurī had an importance to Māori beyond their economic value, or role as hunters.

An example of a kurī that was auctioned in 2013.

Pillay would not go as far as to say kurī were “pets” as we understand the term today, but said they acted as a valuable companion for Māori.

Teeth provided indicators into the dogs' life, both diet and general health, as well as possible environmental factors they were exposed to.

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“In Aotearoa, dogs are mentioned in the traditional oral histories and also found in their own formal burials in some archaeological sites, which suggests a more complex relationship with humans,” she said.

The new research was based on samples from more than 100 ancient kurī teeth found at archaeological sites between Northland and the Bay of Plenty, with permission from iwi, the Auckland Museum, and senior archaeologists caring for these collections.

Patricia Pillay’s research revealed the complex relationship between Māori and kurī in the centuries before European settlement.

Pillay said the teeth provided indicators into the dogs' life, both diet and general health, as well as possible environmental factors they were exposed to.

When examining the teeth, Pillay focused on a condition called “linear enamel hypoplasia”, which among other things could indicate if the kurī had a poor diet, disease or a bad infection.

Kurī, such as this specimen originating from the Catlins, have an ancestry stretching from Indonesia, round the Pacific and to New Zealand. (File photo)

This was the first time linear enamel hypoplasia, had been used to examine kurī teeth.

The analysis found that North Island kurī had good oral health.

The teeth showed no evidence of cavities and plaque, very few teeth were fractured or severely worn, and there was only a little evidence of malnutrition or disease.

“Wear is often the result of scavenging in gritty or sandy soils, and broken teeth often come from gnawing and cracking open bones for marrow.”

This suggested that, unlike other Polynesian countries, in Aotearoa kurī were not competing with their owners for food.

Overall, findings suggested North Island kurī were well looked after by Māori.

Pillay said some kurī even had their own names and whakapapa, which she said showed the complex relationships between Māori and the animal.

“Our relationship with dogs is constantly changing, and we are only just beginning to understand these more complex relationships that dogs had other than just being pets.”

Findings from this study will also contribute to the global discussions and research on dogs, and their place in indigenous communities around the world.

“It's really exciting to contribute to the place of kurī in the global discussion.”