Thompsons intellectual history takes the perspective of western thinkers. The book moves chronologically from the point of portuguese navigator ferdinand magellans voyage, which was the first european attempt to travel successfully into the polynesian triangle, a vast. Hawaii is at the apex of the polynesian triangle, a region of the pacific ocean anchored by three island groups. Partmemoir, part investigation, parthistory book, sea people is an adventure itself. The best thing about this book, though, is that all the key players. Sea people examines the origins and history of polynesia. A wellcrafted history of civilization seen through the prism of one of the most profitable agricultural products in human history. It concerns the inhabitants of the 10millionsquaremile triangle of bluewater pacific real estate now known as polynesia, which is. Sea people examines the origins and history of polynesia npr. It is not just the islandsin a book like this, the coverage is usually polynesia. Dictionary of polynesian mythology by craig, robert ebook. Her second book, sea people, is a history of the settlement of remote oceania by the ancestors of the polynesian people. The polynesian triangle is a large imaginary triangle in the pacific ocean, encompassing over islands.
Outside the triangle, there are traces of polynesian settlement as far north as necker island, as far east as salas y gomez island, and as far south as enderby island. The polynesians primary voyaging craft was the double canoe made of two hulls connected by lashed crossbeams. List of books and articles about polynesia online research library. Defined by the three points of hawaii, new zealand, and easter islandand encompassing all the islands within itthe polynesian triangle was initially colonized thousands of years ago by a group of voyagers carrying with them their shared. There are some words, which are basically the same throughout all polynesian languages, reflecting the deepest core of all polynesian cultures. The houses displayed in the polynesian cultural centers tonga village represent traditional historical architecture. Along with the revitalization of polynesian voyaging and navigation traditions, hokule. Within the polynesian triangle is the area known as polynesia many islands, composed of seven primary cultures. The polynesian cultural center opened to the public on oct. Space through a multidisciplinary effort, recently.
Polynesia includes all the islands within what is generally called the polynesian triangle. The three corners of the triangle are hawaii in the north, easter island also called papa nui in the east and new zealand in the south. In the early 2000s, about 70 percent of the total population of polynesia resided in hawaii. The idea that anyone would first explore out that far and then would go back and forth, and develop a navigational capacity that would enable them to do. Polynesian triangle to understand hawaiian native history and culture, one must understand the greater polynesian phenomenon. One of the main proponents of this alternative theory was the norwegian explorer thor heyerdahl, who, in 1947, famously sailed aboard the kontiki from the coast of peru to the tuamotu islandsover 4,300 miles away more than just the kontiki, however, sweet. Polynesians are famous for their voyages to remote islands in distant parts of the pacific. Sea people includes an 8page photo insert, illustrations throughout, and 2 endpaper maps. Polynesian migrations over the span of 800 years, polynesians explored 16 million square miles of ocean and settled on every habitable island in the pacific.
At its northern apex is hawaii, to the southwest are the islands of new zealand, and to the southeast is easter island. All the islands inside this triangle were originally settled by a clearly identifiable group of voyagers. Polynesian voyaging society founded in hawaii in 1973, the polynesian voyaging society builds replica canoes and sails them using traditional navigation methods. In sea people, thompson explores the fascinating story of these. Captain james cook as mentioned in our comprehensive guide to maori tattooing was the first navigator trying to explore the aforementioned polynesian triangle. As a result of these migrations, the native tahitians, hawaiians and the maoris of new zealand all originate from common ancestors and speak a similar language known as maohi. Christina thompsons sea people tells the story of the people of. Other theories suggest that the polynesians may have actually sailed from south america. The polynesian triangle is an area of ten million square miles, defined by the three points of hawaii, new zealand, and easter island. Historically, ethnically, and spiritually, the islands face west and south, their backs to the mainland. A history of the hawaiian islands university of hawaii press, 1968 daws, an australian transplant who taught history at the university of hawaii, has written numerous books set in the pacific, but this history is canonical. Then, from this nuclear region of east polynesia, voyagers explored the length and breadth of the polynesian triangle, reaching the distant islands of hawaii by at least 400500 ad, easter. The islands of polynesia stretch over thousands of miles of ocean, presenting a daunting barrier to ancient people before the invention of magnetic compasses and modern navigation equipment. Etua using magical symbols for designs of spiritual and religious significance, aiming to mark protection from the gods enata using natural elements and symbols to signify the bearers status, tribe or island of origin, occupation, life history, and so on.
Purpose and history of polynesian cultural center the allure of old polynesia lingers among the pacific island people who demonstrate their traditional arts and crafts and perform their lively songs and dances at the polynesian cultural center. Most polynesian islands and archipelagos, including the hawaiian islands and samoa, are composed of volcanic islands built by hotspots volcanoes. The polynesian triangle, with melanesia and micronesia moana touches on polynesian voyaging, showing the eponymous main character using traditional celestial techniques to navigate across the sea. Just how did anyone end up on those remote islands. Available for iphone, ipod and ipad on the appstore.
Hawaiian migration through the polynesian triangle youtube. There was also once polynesian settlement on norfolk island and kermadec island. The polynesian triangle however, polynesian languages may actually vary slightly from each other, and in some cases they actually differ quite significantly. A dual citizen of the us and australia, she is christina thompson writes about the history of the pacific. An archaeological history of the pacific islands before european. Polynesia is characterized by a small amount of land spread over a very large portion of the mid and southern pacific ocean. European attempt to travel successfully into the polynesian triangle. After the first two voyages to tahiti, hokulea continued to sail in the wake of our ancestors, including a twoyear voyage to aotearoa 19851987 and a voyage to rapa nui 1999, one of the most isolated islands on earth, at the far southeastern corner of the polynesian triangle. During production, disney created the oceanic story trust a board of experts, including polynesian locals and elders to advise on cultural.
An inspired history of the elusive farflung pacific region and peoples of the polynesian triangle. The polynesian triangle is a region of the pacific ocean with three island groups at its corners. Indigenous navigation in the pacific a website designed mostly for pacific youth which honours and explores the knowledge and skills of traditional. An easy but allencompassing read about the history of the polynesian triangle. While simplistic, this triangle illustrates the achievements of those who settled the lands within it. Polynesian tattoos can generally be split into two categories.
Ocean, a vast triangle stretching from hawaii to new zealand to easter island. Oceania was the last region to be settled by humans and the last part of oceania to be settled by humans was polynesia. Polynesian culture, the beliefs and practices of the indigenous peoples of the ethnogeographic group of pacific islands known as polynesia, which encompasses a huge triangular area of the eastcentral pacific ocean. Using outrigger canoes, they founded a society across islands stretching in a triangle from the hawaiian islands to easter island to new zealand. The principal groups are the hawaiian islands see hawaii, samoa, tonga, and the. Buy products related to polynesian history products and see what customers say. Honolulu, it has been said, is the rome of the pacific. The history of the tahitian mission, 17991830 by john davies. However, by the time the europeans first arrived, these. Most scholars now believe the hawaiian archipelago became completely isolated sometime around the th century. The book moves chronologically from the point of portuguese navigator ferdinand magellans voyage, which was the first european attempt to travel successfully into the polynesian triangle, a vast section of the pacific ocean more than 800,000 square miles and the subsequent contact with the inhabited group. Each chapter and section approached the topic this exploration of the history of the polynesian people was fascinating. But as thompson selfconsciously acknowledges later in the book, according to the polynesian view, history is not an assortment of data points to be cherrypicked at will but something much closer to a kind of intellectual property.
This area, termed the polynesian triangle, includes hawaii to the north, easter island to the southeast and new zealand to the southwest. Polynesians form an ethnolinguistic group of closely related people who are native to polynesia islands in the polynesian triangle, an expansive region of oceania in the pacific ocean. For centuries, western scholars have tried to tease apart the many unknown aspects of polynesian history. Polynesian migration, historical timelines, facts and books. In a clear language this book presents the results of probably every type of. April 17 1629 horses first imported to the american colonies by the massachusetts bay colony. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of polynesia are termed polynesians, sharing many similar traits including language family. It is often used as a simple way to define polynesia. Hawaii, rapa nui easter island and aotearoa new zealand.
On a map of the pacific ocean, a triangle can be drawn that encompasses what is now polynesia. Samoa, tuvalu and tonga mark the triangles western edge. The islands stand at the apex of the polynesian triangle. A founding father of america, also, among many things including publisher of poor richards almanac. In the earliest years, saturday was the only night villagers at the polynesian cultural center could draw a big enough crowd to fill the 600seat amphitheater. In 1771, when james cook first returned to tahiti and new zealand from his first voyage, the word tattoo appeared in europe. Its vertices include the hawaiian islands, new zealand, and rapa nui easter island. Every subject matter touched upon from oral narratives to radiocarbon dating over dna are expertly introduced and woven seamlessly into the general narrative without ever leading the author astray. The puzzle of polynesia by christina thompson, kontiki by thor heyerdahl, typee. They trace their early prehistoric origins to island southeast asia and form part of the larger austronesian ethnolinguistic group with an urheimat in taiwan. Christina thompson author of sea people, writer, editor. Once you get out to the far reaches of the polynesian triangle bounded by new zealand, hawaii, easter island, youre talking about distances of over 2,000 miles between some of the islands. The book sea people itself reminded me of a journey like the seafaring journeys the polynesian people took between the islands. Polynesian migrations hawaii history polynesian migrations.
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