I need to find info on the poi and all its movements/history.

LEVEL: Intermediate

The Te Papa website has a little bit in information about the poi and its significance to Matariki in particular. To find it, follow these steps:

1. Go to the Te Papa homepage
2. Go to Education
3. Go to Online resources
4. Go to Matariki
5. Go to Poi

Another good place to go is the New Zealand Electronic Text Centre and search for poi.

Over the years, our team have found some other sites that might help, too. Some of these are:

• Wikipedia: Poi Spining. Note: because anyone can contribute to Wikipedia, you need to check any information you find against other sources, like websites and books.
• Folksong.org.nz: The history of Poi
• Homeofpoi: History of Māori POI in New Zealand
• NZ in history: Poi Toa - Warrior Poi

Note: most of these sites are personal or commercial sites, so you will need to check the information against that found in books.  We recommend this book

Huata, Ngāmoni (2000), Te Rita Papesch, ed., The rhythm and life of poi.  Auckland: HarperCollins, ISBN 1869502736