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Kurī

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Kurī
OriginNew Zealand
Breed statusExtinct
Dog (domestic dog)
Kurī specimen, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, 1924

The Kurī is an extinct breed of Polynesian Dog kept by Māori people. It was introduced to New Zealand by the Polynesian ancestors of the Māori during their migration from East Polynesia in the 13th century AD. According to Māori tradition, the demigod Māui transformed his brother-in-law Irawaru into the first dog.[1]

Description

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Kurī were bushy-tailed, with short legs and powerful shoulders. Their coat colour ranged from yellowish brown to black, white, or spotted. Like other Polynesian dog breeds, they howled instead of barked.[2]

Use

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Kurī were a source of food for Māori, and considered a delicacy. British explorer James Cook sampled kurī on his 1769 voyage and declared that it was almost as tasty as lamb.[2]

Kurī were also used to hunt birds.[2] In addition, Māori used their skins and fur to make dog-skin cloaks (kahu kurī),[3] belts,[4] weapon decorations[5][6] and poi.[7]

Extinction

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Kurī were seen widely across New Zealand during Cook's first voyage in 1769.[2] The kurī became extinct in New Zealand in the 1860s, following the arrival of European settlers; the breed was unable to survive interbreeding with European dogs. The remains of the last known specimens, a female and her pup, are now in the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.[8]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Luomala, Katharine (1958). "Polynesian Myths about Maui and the Dog". Fabula. 2 (1). Berlin: Walter de Gruyter: 139–162. doi:10.1515/fabl.1959.2.1.139. OCLC 4958364642. S2CID 161088509.
  2. ^ a b c d Keane, Basil (24 November 2008). "Kurī – Polynesian dogs – What is the kurī?". Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  3. ^ "Kahu kuri (dog skin cloak)". Collections Online. Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Retrieved 20 July 2010.
  4. ^ "Tatua (belt)". Collections Online. Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Retrieved 20 July 2010.
  5. ^ "Edged Weapons with dogskin in the Taonga Māori Collection". Collections Online. Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Retrieved 20 July 2010.
  6. ^ "Edged Weapons with dog hair in the Taonga Māori Collection". Collections Online. Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Retrieved 20 July 2010.
  7. ^ "Poi awe (percussive device)". Collections Online. Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Retrieved 20 July 2010.
  8. ^ Best, Elsdon (1924). The Maori. Vol. 1. Wellington: The Polynesian Society. pp. 433–435. OCLC 222243473.

Further reading

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