Lecture 5: Migration and Early Settlement Flashcards
(39 cards)
What is the Polynesian Triangle?
An area in the Pacific Ocean with three groups of islands at its corners - Hawaii in the north, Easter Island (also called Papa Nui) in the east and New Zealand in the south.
Where the story takes place
What does the term ‘Tahitic’ refer to?
A branch of the Polynesian language tree associated with Te reo Maori groups in the Cook Islands, Society Islands, and Tuamotu Islands.
Te Reo Māori groups closely with these languages
What suggests a connection between Hawaiki and the islands with ‘Tahitic’ languages?
Language relationships - This linguistic similarity implies that the ancestral homeland, Hawaiki, is likely located near these islands, supporting the idea that early Māori settlers originated from this region.
What is the Archaic East Polynesian Assemblage?
A set of distinctive cultural traits that is almost identical throughout East Polynesia but different from Fiji or West Polynesia.
What does the Archaic East Polynesian Assemblage suggest?
Suggests that the early settlers of East Polynesia, including Māori, came from a shared cultural origin. This supports the idea that Māori origins lie within the Hawaiki zone.
A strong connection between East Polynesian communities.
What is the significance of Hawaiki?
It is the ancestral homeland and a zone of islands, not a single island.
Māori ancestors don’t come from one island, they come from an area of islands called Hawaiki.
What were some reasons for leaving Hawaiki?
- Conflicts over land boundaries
- Conflicts over marriage
- Internal cultural imperatives
Who was Turi?
Commander of the Aotea waka who left Hawaiki after hearing a threatening song by his opponent
His wife had overheard and sung to him
What does the term ‘waka’ refer to?
Canoes used for migration.
What is one key aspect of migration planning from Hawaiki?
Departures were carefully planned and involved building waka specifically for the journey.
Who built the wakas?
Teams of tohunga hired by migration leaders specificially for these journeys
Who was the commander of Te Arawa Waka?
Tama-te-kapua
Who was the commander of Tainui waka?
Whakaotirangi
Female Leader
(Swallowed-land)
Why was the Horouta waka memorable?
Because it was exceptionally fast
(Big-in-sea)
Why was the Tainui Waka memorable?
Because it did not sit right in the sea and needed remedial work
What types of cargo were included in the waka migrations?
- Plants (taro, hue, aute, karaka, kūmara)
- Animals (kiore, kurī)
- Tools, weapons, mauri, figures of guardian atua
- Cultural knowledge (karakia, stories, rituals)
When is the earliest dated archaeological site in Aotearoa?
Mid-14th century.
What ancestors visited and returned to Hawaiki?
- Kupe
- Irākewa (father of Toroa)
- Ngahue
Returnees provide information and instructions to later migrants
What does it mean that ‘evidence points to a multi-generational pattern’?
Migration was not all it once, waka arrivals were over a century or two - two or more generations
What does mitochondrial DNA study suggest about the founding population?
At least 190 females must have been present, indicating a founding population of about 500 people.
What is the Wairau Bar known for?
An early Māori settlement with evidence linking it to Hawaiki.
Burials were close to the village
What does the burial practice at Wairau Bar indicate?
Burials close to villages reflect Polynesian traditions and connections to the land.
For Maori burials they were generally done away from where people populated
What is the Ava in Mangaia?
The starting point from which ancestral waka (canoes) departed on their long migration journeys across the Pacific
What was the structure of a double hulled canoe?
- Two hulls
- Long stern paddle for steering
- Big triangular sails
Between islands they had variations in design but the essential principles were the same.
