Walking on stilts is a pastime found in cultures throughout the world. In Māori communities, they are referred to as poutoti and perhaps the most well known story in which stilts appears is that concerning Tamatekapua and Whakatūria and their theft of breadfruit in Hawaiki.
'Hoki tonu atu raua, timata tonu iho te hanga i nga waewae rakau mo Tama-te-kapua, a ka ot; katahi raua ka haere i te po, a ka tae, ka kite i te poporo whakamarumaru o Uenuku, ka kainga e raua...'
'They returned to construct a pair of stilts for Tamatekapua. When completed, the two of them went under the cover of night and reached Uenuku's breadfruit which they then ate...'
Source: Nga Mahi a Nga Tupuna, by Sir George Grey, Third Edition, Board of Ethnological Research, 1928.