The Aotearoa History Show - Episode 2 | Tangata Whenua

Summary

The video traces the journey of ancient Polynesian explorers who developed advanced sailing technology and navigated across the Pacific Ocean, eventually discovering and settling New Zealand around 1280 AD. It depicts how the first Maori adapted to the new land, relying on now-extinct giant birds for food until unsustainable hunting led to the birds' demise. As a result, Maori society transformed - agriculture became vital for survival, tribes fought over resources and became more territorial, yet also developed a rich culture centered on concepts like mana and tapu that tied them to the land.

Takeaways

• 😊 The story begins with ancestors of Polynesians leaving Southeast Asia around 5,000 years ago and slowly migrating across islands
• 🚣‍♂️ Polynesians developed advanced ocean-going canoes and navigation techniques that allowed long open sea voyages
• 🗺️ Over hundreds of years Polynesians explored across the Pacific as far as Hawaii, Easter Island and possibly South America
• 🛶 New Zealand was the last major landmass settled by humans, first reached around 1280 AD by Polynesian voyagers
• ❄️ NZ's much colder climate was a major challenge - tropical crops struggled and new food sources were needed
• 🐥 Flightless NZ birds like the moa were easy prey and many were hunted to extinction within first few centuries
• 🔥 Forests were burned deliberately to flush out last remaining birds as food sources dwindled
• 🥝 More permanent agriculture-based settlements emerged, with fortified pa sites built for defense
• 📜 Intricate Māori social concepts like mana, tapu and utu developed to enable cohesive community living
• 🚢 1642 marked first encounter with Europeans, foreshadowing massive upheaval to come

Q & A

When did the Polynesian ancestors first start making voyages by sea?

Around 5,000 years ago, a group of people from the coast of Southeast Asia started traveling across the sea. These were the ancestors of the Polynesian people.

What technology allowed the Polynesians to make longer voyages across the open ocean?

The Polynesians invented ocean-going canoes called waka which were more stable and could be sailed long distances. This allowed them to explore islands across the Pacific over hundreds of years.

Why was New Zealand most likely the last major landmass inhabited by humans?

Researchers think the prevailing winds made it extremely difficult to sail back to Eastern Polynesia from New Zealand. So most of the people who arrived were stuck there for good.

How did the moriori and Maori peoples relate to each other?

Genetic and linguistic evidence shows the moriori and Maori both descended from the same original Polynesian explorers. The myth that the moriori were a separate indigenous group wiped out by the Maori is racist and colonial.

Why did the Polynesian settlers struggle to adapt to the climate of New Zealand?

New Zealand's climate was much colder than the tropical islands the Polynesians came from. It took a lot of experimentation to keep growing tropical crops like kumara in the harsh winters.

What impact did the Polynesian settlement have on New Zealand's native birds?

Hunting and habitat destruction drove 32 native bird species to extinction within a few hundred years, including all 9 species of moa - a group of large, flightless birds.

How did concepts like mana, tapu and utu shape Maori society?

These interlocking spiritual concepts encouraged social cohesion, protected people from harm, and ensured debts were repaid. However, Maori society was not a perfect utopia.

What evidence links the Maori oral histories to the islands of Eastern Polynesia?

Fragments of oral histories, along with climate data, language analysis and DNA sequencing confirm the Maori ancestors came from islands around modern-day Tahiti.

By the 1500s, how had Maori society changed from that of their Polynesian ancestors?

Maori had developed distinct traditions adapted to life in New Zealand, with unique styles of art, dialects of language, more reliance on agriculture and increased warfare over resources.

What was the estimated Maori population around 1600 AD before European contact?

Estimates range between 80,000 to 200,000 people, mostly living in the warmer North Island where crops were easier to grow. Average life expectancy was about 28 years.