In March and April 1921 several weeks were spent by Elsdon Best, Johannes Anderson and James McDonald, of the Dominion Museum, at Koriniti, Hiruharama and Pipiriki in the Whanganui River valley. Te Rangi Hiroa (Dr Peter Buck) joined them for a few days at Koriniti.
He tino taonga tēnei mō ngā iwi o Te Awa Tupua o Whanganui/Wanganui kia mau ki ngā mahi me ngā ritenga o ngā rā o mua.
The scenes in this film record games such as skipping and string games, crafts such as dyeing and weaving of harakeke, cultivation and fishing. The making of hinaki for eels and the setting of traps in the weirs are shown in detail.
Also included are scenes of divinatory rites such as niu and raurau.
Whanganui words for the measurements demonstrated at 35’:04” are as follows...
In the Whanganui River district some of the old measurements were:—
• Middle of breast to tips of outstretched fingers—Wahanga.
• Elbow to tips of outstretched fingers—Teketeke.
• Foot to finger of upraised hand—Takoto.
• Span of outspread fingers—Whanganga.
• Middle finger tip to knuckle—Huka.