ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Waka taua

Okay kiddo, so you know how sometimes you see big boats on the water with lots of people rowing them? They're called canoes, and some people use them for racing or just for fun.

Now, a waka taua is a special kind of canoe that comes from a place called New Zealand. It's very long and narrow, and lots of people can sit inside and paddle it. But the cool thing about a waka taua is that it's not just for fun - it was used a long time ago by warriors from the Maori tribe.

The Maori tribe lived in New Zealand a really, really long time ago – like, even before your grandparents were born! The Maori used the waka taua to travel around in the water and they would even go to battle on them.

The waka taua was really important to the Maori tribe because it helped them to stay strong and unified, and they could travel to other places to trade or fight. Even today, some people from the Maori tribe still use the waka taua as a way to connect with their history and culture.

So, a waka taua is like a really important and special kind of canoe that has a cool history behind it – it's not just any old boat!