Rāhui is a custom used by Māori to prohibit the use of a resource. This paper aims to highlight changes in the use of rāhui for protecting taonga (protected natural resource). The arrival of missionaries during European colonisation threatened this custom to the point where it was deemed to be obsolete (White, 1895). In order to survive, Māori have adapted the custom to suit New Zealand’s changing social environment. Consequently rāhui have evolved in purpose, method and even by the taonga they are used to protect. Today, rāhui are only used to protect a fraction of the original resources they were once employed to protect. Their use can either diminish further, stagnate or be revived.