APWH Exam Review: Oceania

Early Settlement Oceania is broken up into 4 main regions: Australia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Lower sea levels permit extensive permanent and seasonal migrations. Australia inhabited by indigenous peoples approx.40, 000-60, 000 years ago. Then later by migrating Polynesians. By 8000BCE large scale trade between islands cease due to rising seas. Polynesian migrations took place across the Pacific2500 BCE – 900 CE. They migrated over 20,000 miles in 3000 years. Originally came from South East Asia leaving their homes in the Philippines and Indonesia. Why? - This may have been due to population increase causing an ecological crisis or internal political/cultural issues. We know that once they settled on an island eventually the population would grow to the point of resource strain and part (or all) would move on.

Migration and Settlement Patterns First wave of migrations are the Polynesians moving to island chain of Micronesia, east of the Philippines. Micronesia is the site of the famous city ruins of Nan Madol. (This site was also the inspiration for the home of the monsters written about by author Lovecraft.) Natives see it as holy and scary site.

- Then about 2000-1300 BCE some move to Melanesia , east of New Guinea and Australia. - Formed a well-integrated society known as Lapita that stretched from New Guinea to Tonga. The Lapita are named after a beach in New Caldonia where their artifacts were found. They left pottery with geometric signs. They were self sufficient but put high value on foreign objects, such as obsidian which was available only in a very few sites of the Lapita settelments. They traded shells, jewelry, stone tools, feathers, food and spouses. - They next moved to what we call Polynesia. It’s an imaginary triangle with Hawaii at the north, New Zealand to the southwest and Easter Island to the southeast. - By 300-400CE they settled Easter Island and built the famous human head statues and by 1500 environmental stress and tribal wars led to cannibalism and eventually destroyed the Easter Island civilization.

Success story: the New Zealand Maori culture established about 800 CE survived and prospered. They are a warrior society and by the 1700’s were the largest Polynesian culture.

The people of Australia and Melanesia are quite dark- skinned, while the peoples of Micronesia and Polynesia and generally lighter. The name of each island region is descriptive: - the prefix “mela” means dark because the inhabitants of Melanesia are so dark. - “micro” means small because the islands in Micronesia are so small. - “poly” means many because the islands on Polynesia are so numerous. Polynesian Triangle and Early Migration Routes Oceania Pirates Chart Topics

Politics: - Powerful chiefs and kingdoms. Kingdoms spanned all or part of an island but occasionally a kingdom spanned several islands uniting them into a single kingdom. - Relatives form the aristocracy. - In Tonga and Hawaii: Chiefs allocate land and organize military and organized labor for construction projects.

Innovation and Intellect: - Expert sailors and navigators. They used the sun, moon, and stars. - They used Outrigger canoes and could travel up to 120 mile per day over vast open waters. - They had extensive knowledge of tides, currents and wave patterns. - Created maps from tightly woven grasses. - Self named the “Wayfinders.” They understand that "the sea is full of signs." Sensitive to these signs, the Hawaiians developed 160 words for different kinds of wind and 138 words for different kinds of rain.

Religion: Animistic. Very much concerned with avoiding taboo and improper behavior. (Kapu in Polynesia) Australia: extensive myths concerning geographical locations. Their beliefs did not diffuse far outside their region. Polynesian religion priests were intermediary between gods and humans and worked closely with the Chief. Gods of war and agriculture were common but individual islands often had deities that represented their own values and interests. Early Hawaiian philosophy- The Wayfinder concentrates 100% of his attention on his place in the sea and sky. With this one-pointedness, he processes all of his data on his course, speed, the current, etc. His point of concentration is his navel, called the piko in Hawaiian. This is considered the center of one's body and being, so that it--not the brain--is the point from which to live. Instructions for psychologically locating one's piko and for staying centered there have been passed down through the centuries in chants. Instructions for wayfinding explain that your piko is your canoe.

Art and Architecture: - Marae huge stepped pyramids for religious purposes on Tahiti and Mahaiatea. - Nan Madol is a massive stone palace and admin center with artificial islets, seawalls and breakwaters. - Rock and coral religious centers. - Well planned open air courtyards.

Technology: - Sailing tech - Farming tech and simple effective irrigation where agriculture supplements hunter-gather - Architecture - Metallurgy – weapons, tools

Economics: - Early societies: Hunter-gatherers - Root farmers: taro, sweet potatos. - Herders: pigs. Raise chickens. - Seafood and fish industry. - Exchanged surplus and small items during seasonal migrations such as axes, pearl oysters, pottery, etc. Long distance voyages were responsible for the sweet potato ending up on remote islands 1000’s of kilometers from inhabited islands. - North Coast Australia trades with mariners of New Guinea. - Australia alone remains hunter-gatherer. The others develop some type of farming. Social Class and Gender Roles: - Social groups tend to be small in Australia because of hunter-gather life style and in Micronesia due to the small size of the islands and corresponding scarcity of resources. - Large villages were common throughout Melanesia and Polynesia and it was in these regions that the largest Oceania kingdoms emerged. - Formed a well-integrated society known as Lapita that stretched from New Guinea to Tonga - Tonga had well defined social class distinctions between high chiefs, lesser chiefs, warriors, and commoners.

European Exploration in Oceania

“Aborigine” Was the British name for the indigenous people they found living in Australia. Europeans gradually explored Oceania throughout the Early Modern and Modern Ages. European activity in Oceania was just as destructive as in the Americas and Africa. Populations were wiped out by disease and many were forced into slavery. Dutch mariners explored the west coast of Australia in the 17th c. But, it had no spices and no farmland so they had no interest.

1770 – James Cook explores Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania and all come under British control. - Australia first established as a British penal colony. - By 1830’s Free settlers outnumbered criminal migrants.

Spanish voyages of Magellan: - Regular voyages from Acapulco to Manilla on tradewinds. - Some interest in Guam and Marianas - Indigenous population resisted but wiped out by smallpox. After the 18th c. visitors such as whalers, missionaries, merchants and planters were becoming common.

Oceania in World War I When Britain declared war on Germany Australian volunteers rushed to enlist and fight in a war they believed would be quick and decisive. From a population of fewer than five million 416,809 men enlisted. Over 60,000 were killed and 156,000 were wounded, gassed or taken prisoner. Most of the men that enlisted at first were sent to Egypt, not Europe, to meet the Ottoman Turk threat in the Middle East and Suez Canal. Eventual result: Battle of Gallipoli in WWII.

ANZAC = Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.

Eventually though Australian troops fought campaigns on the Western Front.

Australians served at sea. Royal Australian Navy ( with the unfortunate initials RAN….lol). They made a significant contribution in destroying the German raider Emden near the Cocos Islands.

Australian women volunteered for services as nurses, cooks, drivers, interpreters, munitions workers and skilled farm workers. Only nurses were sent overseas but they served in Egypt, France, and Greece.

Anti-German sentiment emerged with the outbreak of the war and many Germans living in Australia were sent to internment camps. Oceania in World War I and II

Oceania was a major theatre of World War II because the Allies had to battle Japan for control of the Pacific….which includes most of Oceania and Australia. These island allowed for a technique called “Island Hopping” that greatly increase the Allies success in the region.

Australians contributed to the war effort in a meaningful and valuable way. Aboriginal woman looks at her new ration book

Black Aboriginal troops Women working on Aircraft.

Wartime Propaganda poster

Italian – Australians in WWII

A severe test of the Australian public was actually the large numbers of United States troops in transit through Australia. They had three major impacts on Australian life. 1. Australian tradition was for cities to virtually shut down on Saturdays and Sundays. Thousands of troops in the cities led city leaders to change that policy and open hotels, clubs, theaters and restaurants for longer and more varied hours. This in turn had a substantial positive effect on the local economy as well as introduced new tastes and fashions. 2. Rivalry grew up between the Australian and U.S. troops in part due to jealousy on the Australians part. American troops were paid better and had better items available to them in their PX and services like taxis were able to live better than the Australians. This led some women preferring the company of American soldiers. This lead to clashes between the troops in Melbourne, Perth, and the infamous Brisbane where hundreds of troops fought viciously in the streets! It really only involved a small percentage of the troops but this helped lead to animosity that still exists today from some Australians toward Americans. 3. Impact on the indigenous people of Australia. Many black American troops passed through Australia. Blacks were discriminated against in the U.S. but had far more civil rights than Australia’s indigenous people. Many indigenous people met with these Americans and were deeply influenced by the possibility for greater civic and economic equality. During WWII many of the indigenous people fought and many others took the place of men that were away fighting. Oodgooroo Noonucal, poet says” There was a job to be done….all of a sudden the colour line disappeared”.

This brought about a greater sense of National Identity. Many white Australians had never worked side by side with indigenous Australians for a common cause.

Oceania and De-colonization – The undoing of Colonization

League of Nations begins decolonization after WWI moving Germany’s colonies toward self government. As world opinion and approval moves more in this direction the idea and processes of self-determination was continued through the United Nations after WWII.

World War II to 1980’s: most colonies were granted independence. Currently the islands of Oceania are grouped into over a dozen nations. Colonial First head War for Country name Colonial power[1] Independence date[2] of state[3] independence Dutch Indonesian East National Indonesia [4] Indies Netherlands 27 December 1949[5] Sukarno Revolution Malietoa Tanumafili II and Tui Atua Tupua UN Trust Germany; Britain; Tamasese Samoa Territory New Zealand 1 January 1962 Mea'ole [6] -[7] -

Taufa ʻahau

Tonga Tonga Britain 4 June 1970 Tupou IV - Ratu Sir Kamisese Fiji Fiji Britain 10 October 1970 Mara - Papua Papua New and New Germany/Britain;[9] Michael Guinea Guinea Australia 16 September 1975 Somare

Australia Australia Britain 1901/1942/1986 n/a - Marshall UN Trust Germany; Japan; Amata Islands Territory USA 21 October 1986 Kabua - UN Trust Germany; Japan; Tosiwo Micronesia Territory USA 3 November 1986 Nakayama - New New Henry Zealand Zealand Britain 1853/1907/1947/1986[12] Sewell - Cook Cook Islands Islands New Zealand 1965/1992/current[13] n/a - Just some ideas……..

Compare and Contrast Topics throughout all 6 Periods

- Migrations – Reasons for them , reasons it ended and effects of migration ( Bantu, Indo-European) - Treatment of indigenous peoples (Africa, Americas) - Gender roles ( Europe, Americas, India, China, Middle East) - Social class and ethnicity - Economics - Trade routes and outposts (Americas) - Technology (sailing tech Austronesians vs Phoenicians) - Religions - Politics and Warfare

Changes and Continuities over time topics throughout all 6 periods

- Migrations (CCOT of the migrating peoples, CCOT of the people they blend with) - Economic systems( and the environmental/climate effects on these routes…..Mali, Axum, Austronesians) - Disease - Urbanization - Nationalism and nation building - Globalism - Family and Kinships - Art and architecture - Hunter-gatherer societies and Agricultural revolution ( or lack of one). - Social class and ethnicity - Before-during-after de-colonization