POLYNESIA Flashcards
Who are the Austronesian people? What is their importance to Polynesia?
The Austronesian people are from South-east asia, from places such as taiwan. It is thought that the Polynesians’ ancestors, the Lapita, migrated from South East asian areas such as Taiwan.
When did the Austronesians leave Taiwan?
They left around 2000 BCE & spread through Island South-east asia over time
When was NEAR oceania first settled?
50,000 - 25,000 BCE
When was near oceania discovered by Austronesian seafarers?
The Austronesians entered near oceania around 1500 BCE and intermingled with diverse groups already settled there.
Who are the Lapita people/culture
The Lapita people are the cultural group which settled Melanesia (aka near oceania) and evolved from there on
Lapita people embarked on one of the greatest oceanic migrations - where did they migrate to and when?
Around 1100 BCE the lapita people migrated eastwards from near oceania to the continental islands of remote oceania
The remote oceania islands are smaller and more remote than the near oceania islands - TRUE OR FALSE?
true
Polynesia is the name for the group of islands found in the …
Pacific ocean
Who first named part of the pacific ocean regions?
A french explorer known as Jules Dumont D’Urville explored the islands. He found that it was hard to reach.
What did he name them?
Because there were so many islands, he split them into three sections and named them based off the skin colour of the people, Melanesia (black islands).
Who named Polynesia?
Charles de Brosses called that region Polynesia because there were so many islands (Polynesians means many islands)
A dutch navigator named which island? Why did he name it that?
He named easter island because he arrived there on easter sunday, 1722.
When did James cook explore Polynesia?
1769
What were the theories proposed by the explorers about where the Polynesians came from?
The dutch navigator believed that they might have been transported by the spanish but there were no signs of them so he believed they were placed there by the Lord.
Captain Cook believed that they sailed from the west along with the wind.
A Norwegian explorer proved Captain Cook wrong and said that he did not study the winds properly and said that the Polynesians must have come from South America.
Which evidence was the direction of the Polynesian expansion proved by?
Pottery trails left by the ancestors of the Polynesians indicated the direction of their migration (the Lapita people)
what is an archipelago?
A group of islands
What is the Hokulea?
The Hokulea is a voyaging canoe which was created to prove the theory of sailing into/against the wind correct.
The voyage of the Hokulea was done with a GPS and the boat is not double hulled. TRUE OR FALSE
FALSE - the Hokulea is a double hulled canoe which took part in a voyaging journey only using traditional Polynesian wayfinding skills.
What are moais and where are they found?
The Moais are found on Easter island and act as tombstones which depict the person of significance buried beneath them
The more statues covered the lands, the less trees were found - TRUE OR FALSE
TRUE
On Easter Island, ocean voyaging stopped, why? (theory)
Because of Deforestation, canoes were no longer built and the population crashed because of the lack of resources.
Currently, an archaeologist has suggested that the Polynesian voyages actually stopped at Chile. Why is this suggested?
He found chicken bones which were said to be traced back from Polynesia and he examined a skull found on the coast of Chile with the traits of a Polynesia.
Where did Polynesian Culture emerge?
In Fiji, Tonga and Samoa, the Lapita people eventually settled where the Polynesian culture emerged.
The Polynesians migrated to Marquesas, Hawaii, Rapa Nui and Aotearoa in ….
1200-1300 CE
What islands are at the three tips of Polynesia (HINT: the polynesian triangle)
New Zealand, Hawaii and Easter Island
aka
Aotearoa, Hawai’i and Rapa Nui
The Polynesians transported what on their voyages?
Plants such as Sweet potatoes, yam, Kumara and gourd and animals such as dogs, rats.
The Polynesians used charts but what were they for and what were they made from?
They made charts from sticks and shells to represent the islands (the shells) and the sea currents. This was passed down from generation to generation.
Knowledge of what helped the Polynesians to navigate?
Knowledge of the stars/the constellations and other natural signs like the flight patterns of birds/their breed, shape of clouds, wind patterns, sun, sea ocean swells, island colour reflections on clouds, island blocks, sea colour, smoke-smell-taste and drifting objects.
observation of animals was done because of what?
To see their path of migration and any clues that told the Polynesians where land was
What is Polynesian Expansion?
Polynesians Expansion is the migration and settlement of Polynesia in which displays the skill of the Lapita/polynesian people, human evolution and knowledge of the natural world.
Who were Polynesian maps used by?
They would be used for young navigators as a teaching aid.
How did navigators use ocean swells to navigate?
Ocean swells are waves which occur after wind or storms happen. The direction of a swell can tell the navigator where they are. A swell also bounces back when things like islands are blocking it, this can suggest where land is for navigators.
How does a star compass work?
A star compass is a mental map which shows the rising and setting points of stars and constellations at different times of the year. The sky is split up into 4 quadrants with 32 subcategories and the boat in which is being sailed on is placed in the centre of all of this.
How did navigators use the Southern cross
They drew a line between two stars and extended it 4.5 times, then they drew a last line to the horizon. This would indicate south.
define voyaging
the act of travelling in a boat on the sea to a destination - a journey
define wayfinding
a skill used for a sense of direction and navigation
define navigation
determining where something is and guiding it to a specific destination.
what is an oral tradition?
passing on knowledge or history through the use of spoken communication
What is perspective?
Perspectiveis aworld view or a set of ideas or beliefs that guide actions. It is the’point of view’from the which the creator of a sourcedescribes a historical event.
What does it mean if a source is reliable?
If a source isreliable,the information that it contains isaccurate and can be trusted.
Thequalityof a source can be determined throughjudging its reliability.
What are the degrees of reliability
extremely
very
somewhat
rarely
not very
Who are the Maori?
The Maori are the people of New Zealand
What are the 4 periods of Aotearoa settlement?
the seed (moa hunters period), the growing, the flowering, the turning point
What is tatau?
Tatau is the word ‘tattoo’ in Samoan language
What is Tamoko?
Tamoko is the word ‘tattoo’ in Maori/ New Zealand language
What does the word ‘Maori’ mean?
Original people
Why is Maori Art important?
Maori art demonstrates tribal differences and their tattoos were of significance to their identity.
What does tamoko/moko symbolise?
- rank
- genealogy
- tribal history
- personal statement
- only death could destroy tamoko
Were the Lapita people tattooed over 3500 years ago? YES OR NO
YES
What is the significance of tatau?
- gave cultural and spiritual importance
- status because it was signalled by strength and power
- the most detailed tattoos were reserved for chiefs/warriors
Why did Tatau become an outlawed practice by the British?
Tatau was considered the devil’s art but it saw a revival in the twentieth century.
Why did resources first start to struggle in New Zealand for the Maori people?
Because the Maori were taking large amounts of food and supporting themselves abundantly using resources, their population began to grow. When the population grew, the resources became less and less able to sustain them.
What happened when birds, fish and other animal populations began to decline? (in New Zealand)
Since Aotearoa had an ecosystem where everything was connected, the damage created had much impact and large consequences.
What are the moa and what happened to them?
The Moa is an extinct, flightless bird which lived on New Zealand. The Moa were easy to hunt because it wasn’t used to humans hunting them and especially not any predators on ground. This is because the only predator the 9 species had was the Haast Eagle. The Moa were also hunted during their breeding season which led to the Moas not being able to reproduce. The Moas were hunted to extinction.
4 birds were hunted to extinction as well (by the Maori) what were they?
The pelican, the swan, the adzebill and flightless goose.
What agricultural method allowed animals to be hunted easier to extinction on Aotearoa?
The Maori used the ‘Slash and Burn’ method which involved killing and burning nature to plant new seeds. Because the nature was the animal’s habitat, they were driven out and made an easier catch.
What was the downside of the ‘Slash and Burn’ method?
The soil on new fields became poor quality because of this method and led to erosion. Soil was washed away each time that happened which didn’t help the deforestation situation.
The Moai contributed to Rapa Nui’s deforestation, how?
Palm trees on Easter island took 50 years to grow to maturity and the Polynesians cut them down in order to use the wood for canoes, huts and rollers for large moai statues.
What happened when palm trees were endangered on Easter Island?
The environment was impacted, especially the Polynesians. There was little resources remaining and they could not build canoes to escape from the island and its problems. The population began to overhunt the birds as a result as well.
What happened when birds went extinct on Easter island?
There were no longer any spreaders of seeds which would’ve encouraged growth of new trees.
When there were little amounts of things to eat, what measures did the Polynesians go to to survive?
They ate rats to compensate for the food resources that they lost.
What happened on Rapa Nui when there was nothing left to eat at all?
There was violence, civil war, cannibalism between tribes.
How many Polynesians were left when the Europeans arrived?
only a few thousand people
Many people of Easter island were avoiding the fate of the island by using spiritual rules which were used to protect certain resources. TRUE OR FALSE?
TRUE
The Maori used what rule?
Tapu
- guided mana (power)
- rahui was a rule used to protect natural resources by restricting damaging practices which was only implemented by the chief
Were the Maori stranded on New Zealand when supplies were running low?
No, they were able to build canoes and flee which is the reason for the Maori population decrease
What was different between New Zealand and other countries?
- climate was cooler
- rainforests instead of tropical nature
- more mountainous terrains
- endemic flora and fauna
- isolated from everything
What is sustainability?
It is the ability for something to be maintained at a certain rate or level for future use.
What are the theories of Rapa Nui?
Traditional theory is that islanders cut trees down to move the Moai and destroyed their environment. There were not a lot of resources left which let to civil war, cannibalism and a warning of greed, violence and environmental collapse.
Revisionist/emerging theory - rats may have decimated the palm trees by gnawing on the tree seed shells and saplings. There was population decrease because of the decreasing amount of resources, however, the cause of reducing the population to 111 was the doing of the European actions. They took slaves and introduced diseases which forced migration.
what was a theory of who built the Moai statues but was then debunked?
It was believed that aliens had built the moai because the strength and knowledge of the Moai were underestimated. However, this was later debunked as it was seen that some statues were still left at the quarry or face-planted into the floor as a result of human error and lack of material.
What are 2 differences and 2 similarities between the Samoan Culture and Tahitian Culture?
Many Polynesian islands have their own cultures including the Samoans and the Tahitians. Though they originated from the same culture, they now have many distinct features. For example, the beliefs and religion are different, Samoans are Christian and Tahitians believe in animism. The rituals of each are extremely distinct, Samoans have a more formal ceremony whereas Tahitians have simple ceremonies at sunset or pageants with musicians/dancers. Both societies have a traditional necklace, Tahitians use leis and Samoans have both Leis and Ulas. Similarities can be seen in their main values and cultural activities such as tattooing, music and flora and fauna.
what is culture?
the ideas, customs and social behaviour of a certain social group.
whats a future eater?
someone (humans) who consume the resources they need for their future unsustainably.
