Material

Two plants which enter largely into Polynesian clothing, the paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera) and the ti (Cordyline terminalis), were absent from the two atolls as from Tongareva. Their absence precluded the manufacture of bark cloth (tapa) and ti leaf kilts. For clothing material, the plants available were the coconut and hala (Pandanus). It is curious that in Tongareva the people selected the coconut palm and used the stipule for the men's maro and the leaflets for the women's kilts and capes. In Rakahanga, owing perhaps to the greater plaiting dexterity of the people, the material selected was lauhala (Pandanus leaf). The leaves of the young hala (puwhara) entered into all the articles made, and the coconut was disregarded except to provide fiber for a belt. The upper layer of the lauhala was also split off, and the thin material (papa) was used for decorative purposes. The bast of the tou (Cordia subcordata) was soaked in sea water and used to provide fringes for the garments. A reddish-brown dye was obtained from the nenu (Morinda citrifolia), but now imported trades dyes have taken its place.