Most of the figures in Maori carvings, even those on temples and meeting houses, are not religious. They are instead secular. Rather than idols, the elaborate carvings represent renowned ancestors of the tribe and activities of the tribe. Other carving are purely ornamental with no specific meaning. If you compare this temple to http://www.pbase.com/britestar/image/113483639, you will see that the carvings are entirely different.

The woman in the foreground is Maori who ancestors go back to the original inhabitants of New Zealand.

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