The Maori nouns Kakahu and Kahu mean "garment" or "clothing".  Kakahu refers to any garment - it might be a cloak, or a piupiu or a maro, etc.  If you are describing a Maori feather cloak, then its correct name is kahu huruhuru.  A Maori cloak made of kiwi feathers is a kahu kiwi.  Conversely, a Maori cloak made from muka (flax fibre) and decorated with hukahuka (tassels) is called a korowai.

All of these traditional kakahu are labour intensive, take a long time to make and a great deal of skill and practise.  The weaver gave mana to their creations, their taonga, through their skills and years of knowledge.  Hence they were usually worn by those of high status.

But in our modern world, traditional weaving is usually paid for in the typical way, with a lot of money to recompense the weaver for all their hard work.  For that reason, many people look to buy a modern version of the beautiful feather cloaks, still made with feathers but sewn on a sewing machine.  This makes them accessible to many more Maori, allowing more families to honour their elders at tangi, to wear at a wedding, for their children and grand children at graduation, and so on.  Many become heirlooms, to be passed down through the generations.

Personally, I see a place for both traditional and modern cloaks.  Those who can afford the traditional kakahu help keep the art of kakahu-making alive.  Those who can only afford the modern cloak still have this way to honour their culture. 

As for the name korowai being used to describe feather cloaks....yes at some stage in history the word korowai was incorrectly used to describe feather cloaks.  I don't know where that started but it is prevalent.  We are rarely asked for a kahu huruhuru or kakahu, but rather for a korowai.  So we still name them as korowai, but in the description we explain the correct name, so we can gently assist in teaching the correct term.  These things take time. 

Below: Kahu kiwi at Auckland Museum

Traditional muka and hukahuka korowai:

Modern-day kahu huruhuru:

The Maori nouns Kakahu and Kahu mean "garment" or "clothing".  Kakahu refers to any garment - it might be a cloak, or a piupiu or a maro, etc.  If you are describing a Maori feather cloak, then its correct name is kahu huruhuru.  A Maori cloak made of kiwi feathers is a kahu kiwi.  Conversely, a Maori cloak made from muka (flax fibre) and decorated with hukahuka (tassels) is called a korowai.

All of these traditional kakahu are labour intensive, take a long time to make and a great deal of skill and practise.  The weaver gave mana to their creations, their taonga, through their skills and years of knowledge.  Hence they were usually worn by those of high status.

But in our modern world, traditional weaving is usually paid for in the typical way, with a lot of money to recompense the weaver for all their hard work.  For that reason, many people look to buy a modern version of the beautiful feather cloaks, still made with feathers but sewn on a sewing machine.  This makes them accessible to many more Maori, allowing more families to honour their elders at tangi, to wear at a wedding, for their children and grand children at graduation, and so on.  Many become heirlooms, to be passed down through the generations.

Personally, I see a place for both traditional and modern cloaks.  Those who can afford the traditional kakahu help keep the art of kakahu-making alive.  Those who can only afford the modern cloak still have this way to honour their culture. 

As for the name korowai being used to describe feather cloaks....yes at some stage in history the word korowai was incorrectly used to describe feather cloaks.  I don't know where that started but it is prevalent.  We are rarely asked for a kahu huruhuru or kakahu, but rather for a korowai.  So we still name them as korowai, but in the description we explain the correct name, so we can gently assist in teaching the correct term.  These things take time. 

Below: Kahu kiwi at Auckland Museum

Traditional muka and hukahuka korowai:

Modern-day kahu huruhuru: