yNIVEESlTY OF HAWAII LIBRARY TE HAERENGA WAKA POLYNESIAN ORIGINS, MIGRATIONS, AND NAVIGATION Rawiri Taonui A Thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Hons) in Maori Studies. UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND 1994 UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND LIBRARY PROTECTION OF AUTHOR OF THESIS This copy of a Unversity of Auckland thesis is being supplied to you on the understanding that the following conditions will be observed 1. It will be consulted for the purpose of research or private study only. 2. Due acknowledgement will be made to the author where appropriate. 3. The author’s permission will be obtained before before any material is published 4 No further copies willl be made without prior permission from the University of Auckland Library. Peter Durey Librarian I put aside my fears. They had faith in the words of their fathers. This is what we call courage. With this courage you can travel any where in the world and not get lost. Because I have faith in the words of my ancestors I am a navigator. I learned these words when I was a young boy in my father's canoe. Mau Piailug, Navigator from Satawal, 1972 Pawiri Taonui_________________ iii_______________ Te Haerencra Waka ABSTRACT This thesis investigates Polynesian origins, migrations, and navigation. The main issues it examines are the questions of where the ancestors of the Polynesians came from, and how they managed to settle the islands of Polynesia. The second question is itself twofold. Firstly there is the matter of the sequence and time that settlement occurred, and secondly there is the debate about whether or not settlement occurred as the result of accidental or deliberately navigated voyages. Before beginning this project I had no experience, expertise, or knowledge in the fields of astronomy, archaeology, ethnobotany, ethnozoology, navigation, Pacific meteorology, and Polynesian geography. Nor was I familiar with the oral traditions of the islands of Polynesia, or the records of early European observers in the Pacific. My sole preparation was that I had some experience in researching Maori tribal tradition. I endeavoured to learn as much as I could beginning in March 1994, and also hoped that I could produce a thesis before February 28th 1995. The strength of this thesis is that the research was undertaken in some depth. This was thought necessary for two reasons. Firstly the writer wanted to know and understand everything, and secondly it was thought that in the past other writers had displayed a tendency to make selective use of the evidence. This is particularly evident in the treatment of the records of early European observers in the Pacific such as Cook, and in the way evidence has been used from the Polynesian oral traditions. Rawiri Taonui_________________ iv_______________ Te Haerencra Waka Unfortunately, given the time constraint a disproportionate amount of time was spent on research in relation to the time devoted to analysis. And, although the writer feels that there is some merit in the way the evidence has been considered, especially with regard to the oral traditions, there is no doubt that more time would have been fruitful. However, we all have crosses to bear and mine is to graduate in 1995. I completed my last piece of research on February 8th. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Ko Te Ranginui, ko Te Rangiroa, ko Te Rangihaupapa. Ko nga maunga whakahi ko nga maunga whakatauaki o nga moutere o Te Moana-nui-a- kiwa, araa o nga papawhenua katoa tu mai, tu atu, i te po, i te ao, tu tonu, tu tonu, tu tonu. Ka mihi ki te mano ki te tini kua mene ki te po. Haere koutou ki runga i nga ara ki Haumu, ki Te Waingunguru, ki Herangi. Whakawhiti i Waitarau, piki ake i Te Atuaperunui, taiheke ki Te Rerenga Wairua. Ki reira heke iho i Te Waioraropo, i Te Waiorata, i nga akaaka i huaina e nga tupuna ko Rehia. Haere koutou ki Ohau, tangitangi mai. Hoea oo koutou waka i Hawaiki tautau mai, ki Hawaiki tautau atu, ki Hawaiki runga, ki Hawaiki raro. Haere koutou ki te hau o Kupe, ki Te Tokerau, ki Te Tonga. Ka pahure koutou i nga whare o nga uri o Tangaroa, o Hine moana. Ka huri ki tua o pae, ki te rua o Tama-nui-i-te-raa. Piki ake i te aratiatia, i pikitia ai e Tane-nui-a-rangi ki ngaa Rangituhaha. Haere ki Te Rangihaupapa, tatau o Tawhirirangi, i te pumotomoto o te kauwhanga o Te Toi-o-nga-rangi. Ki reira, hoki mai ma runga i Te Paepae-o-Mahutonga, i Te Paepae-o-Rehua, i Te Paepae-o-Kuku. Titiro iho mai hei awhina, hei manaki, hei arahi i a matou. Waiho ake ratou kua whakawheturangitia ki a ratou, tatou nei nga waihotanga mai o ratou, tatou e hapai nei i o ratou wawata, Rawiri Taonui________________ vi_______________ Te Haerenga Waka tumanako hoki, tena koutou, tena koutou kiaora tatou. I would like to acknowledge Dr. Ranginui Walker for supervising my thesis and for his support and assistance during the course of my studies. I also thank Dr. Jane McRae for her valuable assistance with the editing. I would also like to recognise other academic staff such as Dr. Pat Hohepa, Waerete Norman, and Dr. Steve Webster for their support, advice and encouragement. Doug Sutton and Geoff Irwin also helped guide me with reference to specific material regarding archaeology and navigation. I also thank 'Team Hokianga', being Pauline Hopa, Rapata Wiri, Pene-ani Kupenga-Keefe, Garrick Cooper, Nanaia Mahuta and Rawiri Walker who helped with the proof reading and graphics. I also make special mention of Hineira Woodard whose assistance in 1993 allowed me to complete a full time year. It is also appropriate to acknowledge several of my fellow students. The first I would like to mention is Rapata Wiri whose three year endeavour with his thesis set a new bench mark and example for the rest of us to aim at. In the past Maori Studies has had problems supporting its post graduate students, and those completing M.A. and PhD. are generally few and far between. This year I expect to graduate alongside Nanaia, Jennifer, Rapata, Jeanette, Chris, Aunty Waerete, and perhaps one or two others. Although this is a credit to the renewed vigour within our department, it is also a credit to the character and perseverance of our graduates, most of whom have worked with minimal assistance. Most of all I would like to acknowledge Riley and Babara Thompson, Pauline, Otene and Marcia Hopa, Garrick Cooper, his mum and Werahiko whose aroha in looking after Rawiri-nohinohi and myself proved to be the most valuable benefaction we received. They epitomise 'really choice cussies'. Na reira, e hoa ma, tena koutou, tena koutou, tena ra koutou Rawiri Taonui Vji Te Haerenga Waka TABLE OF CONTENTS Title________________________________________________________Page Abstract..............................................iii Acknowledgements...................................... v Table of Contents..................................... vii List of Figures....................................... xiii List of Tables........................................ xvi List of Abbreviations................................. xvi Introduction A Summary of Issues........................................ 2 An Ethnohistorical Review............................. 3 The Renaissance....................................... 8 Polynesian Oral Tradition............................. 11 Navigation Systems andWaka Design..................... 16 Summary............................................... 17 Part One: An Ethnohistorical Review Chapter One: The Origins of the Polynesians................. 21 The Historical Debate................................ 21 The Modern Archaeological Consensus................... 25 The Settlement of West Polynesia.......................34 The Settlement of East Polynesia.......................36 South To Aotearoa..................................... 42 Summary............................................... 46 Rawiri Taonui________________ viii______________ re Haerenaa Waka Chapter Two: The Navigation Debate.........................48 Explorers and Missionaries............................51 The Romantic View.....................................56 Accidental Voyaging...................................58 The Response to Sharp.................................63 The Need for Empirical Research....................... 71 Summary.............................................. 73 Part Two: The Renaissance of Polynesian Voyaging Chapter Three: Weather Patterns in the Pacific............. 76 Predominant Weather Patterns..........................76 Prevailing Patterns in the Northern Pacific..... 80 Prevailing Patterns in the Southern Pacific..... 82 Variations in Predominant Patterns.................... 82 Voyaging Scenarios................................... 84 West Polynesia and the Polynesian Outliers.......84 West Polynesia and New Zealand...................84 West Polynesia and East Polynesia............... 85 East Polynesia and New Zealand.................. 85 The Marquesas and Hawai'i....................... 86 Easter Island and East Polynesia................. 87 Polynesia and the Americas...................... 87 Summary.............................................. 89 Chapter Four: Rehu Moana.................................. 90 Tahiti to Rarotonga 1965............................. 90 Rarotonga to Aotearoa 1965........................... 93 Summary.............................................. 97 Chapter Five: Hokule'a 1976-1980...........................100 Construction......................................... 100 Hawai'i to Tahiti 1976................................105 Hawai'i to Tahiti 1980................................113