 The Māori had many uses for the gum , which they called kapia . Fresh gum was used as a type of chewing gum ( older gum was softened by soaking and mixing with juice of the puha thistle ) . Highly flammable , the gum was also used as a fire @-@ starter , or bound in flax to act as a torch . Burnt and mixed with animal fat , it made a dark pigment for moko tattooing . Kauri gum was also crafted into jewellery , keepsakes , and small decorative items . Like amber , kauri gum sometimes includes insects and plant material . 
