Polynesian Voyaging

Green, R. C.

doi:10.1126/science.187.4173.274

“…He also discussed ". In addition to the Goetzfridt sourced material above, Green, (1975) considered that shards of Fijian pottery found in the Marquesas Archipelago represent pots brought by founding people before 300 A.D. whereas Western Samoan shards point to evidence of two-way voyaging between Tonga, Futuna, Tuvalu, and Fiji since settlement nearly 3000 years ago (Green doesn't say whether it was Fijians doing the voyaging). Neich (2006:230) advises that "most accounts consider the Tongan empire reached its greatest complexity and geographic spread between AD1200 and AD1500" with Fiji as part of this 'empire'.…”

Section: D'arcymentioning

confidence: 99%

Sailing for Sustainability: The Potential of Sail Technology as an Adaptation Tool for Oceania. A Voyage of Inquiry and Interrogation through the Lens of a Fijian Case Study

Nuttall¹

0

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<p>This thesis records an action research-based inquiry into the potential of sail technology as an adaptation intervention for sea-transport that would assist Oceanic communities (at local and national levels) (re)claim resilience in the face of growing threats from climate change and extreme fossil-fuel dependency. The issue is explored at micro, meso, and macro geographic levels and temporally across past heritage, the current situation and looking to a future horizon. A case study approach is employed, where possible focussed through a Fijian lens. The thesis finds that while there are grounds for expanded research into and priority of sustainable sea-transport, this central issue facing most Oceania communities remains invisible within the policy space at all levels and has been hitherto ignored by regional and development agencies. Barriers are identified as being as much perceptual as actual, and lack of technology is not the primary issue but rather more deep-seated factors including ownership, operation, and management spread across multiple ‘well-beings’ including culture and socio-economic concerns. There are multiple lessons to learn from interrogation of the past. The process of inquiry was initiated within existing talanoa of key partner communities in Fiji and has, in turn, proved catalytic in initiating both fresh research into Fijian seafaring heritage – particularly that concerning the Waqa Tabu or Drua and its related culture in Fiji and central Oceania - and a growing network of interest in an agenda of sustainable sea-transport for this region. The former proved elemental to a programme of art and performance undertaken by the Oceania Centre for Arts, Culture and Pacific Studies leading up to the Festival of Pacific Arts in the Solomons 2012 and both strands were brought together in the region’s first international ‘Sustainable Sea-Transport Talanoa’ hosted by the University of the South Pacific in November 2012. It now appears there is sufficient critical mass generated to ensure a sustained programme of both action and research will ensue and it is suggested critical learning of collaboration and partnership as well as measures for assessing the sustainability of such a programme can be gleaned from other Oceanic Participatory Learning and Action experiences, in particular the Fiji Local Marine Management Area programme.</p>

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“…He also discussed ". In addition to the Goetzfridt sourced material above, Green, (1975) considered that shards of Fijian pottery found in the Marquesas Archipelago represent pots brought by founding people before 300 A.D. whereas Western Samoan shards point to evidence of two-way voyaging between Tonga, Futuna, Tuvalu, and Fiji since settlement nearly 3000 years ago (Green doesn't say whether it was Fijians doing the voyaging). Neich (2006:230) advises that "most accounts consider the Tongan empire reached its greatest complexity and geographic spread between AD1200 and AD1500" with Fiji as part of this 'empire'.…”

Section: D'arcymentioning

confidence: 99%

Sailing for Sustainability: The Potential of Sail Technology as an Adaptation Tool for Oceania. A Voyage of Inquiry and Interrogation through the Lens of a Fijian Case Study

Nuttall¹

2

0

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

<p>This thesis records an action research-based inquiry into the potential of sail technology as an adaptation intervention for sea-transport that would assist Oceanic communities (at local and national levels) (re)claim resilience in the face of growing threats from climate change and extreme fossil-fuel dependency. The issue is explored at micro, meso, and macro geographic levels and temporally across past heritage, the current situation and looking to a future horizon. A case study approach is employed, where possible focussed through a Fijian lens. The thesis finds that while there are grounds for expanded research into and priority of sustainable sea-transport, this central issue facing most Oceania communities remains invisible within the policy space at all levels and has been hitherto ignored by regional and development agencies. Barriers are identified as being as much perceptual as actual, and lack of technology is not the primary issue but rather more deep-seated factors including ownership, operation, and management spread across multiple ‘well-beings’ including culture and socio-economic concerns. There are multiple lessons to learn from interrogation of the past. The process of inquiry was initiated within existing talanoa of key partner communities in Fiji and has, in turn, proved catalytic in initiating both fresh research into Fijian seafaring heritage – particularly that concerning the Waqa Tabu or Drua and its related culture in Fiji and central Oceania - and a growing network of interest in an agenda of sustainable sea-transport for this region. The former proved elemental to a programme of art and performance undertaken by the Oceania Centre for Arts, Culture and Pacific Studies leading up to the Festival of Pacific Arts in the Solomons 2012 and both strands were brought together in the region’s first international ‘Sustainable Sea-Transport Talanoa’ hosted by the University of the South Pacific in November 2012. It now appears there is sufficient critical mass generated to ensure a sustained programme of both action and research will ensue and it is suggested critical learning of collaboration and partnership as well as measures for assessing the sustainability of such a programme can be gleaned from other Oceanic Participatory Learning and Action experiences, in particular the Fiji Local Marine Management Area programme.</p>

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Voyaging Canoes and the Settlement of Polynesia

Finney

¹

1977

Science

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Sailing trials with two reconstructed Polynesian double canoes indicate that these craft can make good a course to windward up to approximately 75 degrees off the wind on long ocean voyages. This windward performance would have enabled Polynesians to exert a degree of control over their movements that would have been denied them had they only been able to sail or drift before wind and current. Indeed, without this windward sailing capacity there probably never would have been a Polynesian people today, for in a sense they are a product of their maritime technology. Had there been no great voyaging canoes, the settlement of Polynesia might have had to await the relatively late entry into the Pacific of the European navigators. But the Pacific was the scene of early innovation in weatherly sailing canoes, and as the European navigators "discovered" island after island, they were surprised to find that neolithic seafarers had preceded them into this vast ocean realm.

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Polynesian Voyaging

Cited by 3 publications

References 1 publication

Sailing for Sustainability: The Potential of Sail Technology as an Adaptation Tool for Oceania. A Voyage of Inquiry and Interrogation through the Lens of a Fijian Case Study

Sailing for Sustainability: The Potential of Sail Technology as an Adaptation Tool for Oceania. A Voyage of Inquiry and Interrogation through the Lens of a Fijian Case Study

Sailing for Sustainability: The Potential of Sail Technology as an Adaptation Tool for Oceania. A Voyage of Inquiry and Interrogation through the Lens of a Fijian Case Study

Voyaging Canoes and the Settlement of Polynesia

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