Picturesque palm trees, majestic volcanoes, mysterious 14-ton statues; yes explorers,
Polynesia has captured the fascination of the world for many years.
Bryan here and I'll be your tour guide today as we go island hopping.
Get your pdf ready but be careful not to splash water on it as we navigate through the open
ocean.
Our lesson objectives are to identify the location and physical characteristics of Polynesia,
analyze the non-violent Mao independence movement in Samoa, and infer some pros and cons of
promoting tourism to a Polynesian island.
Grab your oars and join me in this va'a, or traditional outrigger canoe.
In Polynesian culture everyone has a role in the canoe; so let's get paddling.
[Polynesian Music Plays]
Polynesia is located in the east-central Pacific Ocean within the Polynesian triangle formed
by Hawaii, New Zealand, and Easter Island.
As far as human history goes Polynesia is young.
The Lapita, from East Asia, are thought to be the first inhabitants of the area arriving
about three thousand years ago.
Of course, the Lapita had to be skilled sailors to reach these remote islands.
Let's put that into perspective for you.
You already know that in "1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue."
When he went from Spain to the West Indies, Christopher Columbus journeyed about 4,000
miles.
But what you may not know is in 1000 B.C.E., the Lapita rode across the sea.
Yep, over 2,000 years before, the Lapita made their way by sea to Tonga about 5,000 miles
from East Asia, in canoes!
Granted this 5,000-mile journey was not all in one shot, they stopped and settled islands
along the way; and further generations carried on and expanded further.
Nonetheless, this feat of open ocean travel is truly remarkable and yet quite historically
overlooked.
So that's how people got here.
Now, why exactly did they make the effort to come all this way?
This tropical paradise should answer that question.
White sandy beaches, crystal clear waters, and dramatic palms that you can fasten your
hammock to while catching some shade by the shoreline.
Underwater it's just as picturesque.
There's a vast array of marine life in the vibrant coral reefs.
These islands share a warm humid tropical climate.
It's a bit rainier from November to April while the cooler, dry season runs from March
to October.
Polynesia has over a thousand islands, many of which are included in archipelagos formed
by volcanic activity.
So can you remember what type of islands are formed by volcanic activity?
If you said that most of the Polynesian Islands are high islands, well, you got it!
Now, let's visit some of these islands.
We'll start with our three sovereign states: Samoa, Tonga, and Tuvalu.
Samoa is located halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand.
After years of being passed around by Germany, the United States, and the United Kingdom,
New Zealand emerged to control the territory.
During these occupations, the Native Samoans greatly resented outside rule as they had
little decision-making power on their own islands.
Despite this, the independence movement known as the Mau, was staunchly non-violent, even
when colonial powers exerted violence on them.
One of ten victims of "Black Saturday," a police shooting of peaceful protesters, Mau
leader Tamasese III uttered these words as he was about to die; "my blood has been spilt
for Samoa.
Do not dream of avenging it.
If I die, peace must be maintained at any price."
The Mau gained popular support from Samoans.
In 1962, they finally achieved their goal, independence from New Zealand.
Now, let's think about this question.
What does the Mau movement reveal about the values of the Samoan people?
Pause the video while you respond in your pdf.
The kingdom of Tonga, a group of over 150 islands, has managed to avoid colonization.
It's the last remaining indigenous monarchy in the Pacific.
Tuvalu, a nation of low islands, is home to just 12,000 people.
The entire country could attend an NBA basketball game together and fill just over half the
arena.
Now, let's move on to two self-governing states with loose ties to New Zealand.
The Cook Islands have fewer than 15,000 people, on 15 atolls, spread over an area of 770,000
square miles.
Niue, known simply as the rock, is one of the largest coral islands in the world.
In Polynesia you'll also find a number of islands that are territories or dependencies.
We'll highlight a few for you here.
American Samoa is a U.S. territory and is home to a vast national park which preserves
coral reefs, tropical rainforest, and of course, the fruit bat.
Hawaii became the 50th U.S. state in 1959 and is an archipelago known for its luaus
and world-class surfing.
From the epic Nepalis Coast of Kauai, to Maui's road to Hana, to the volcanoes on the "Big
Island," there is no shortage of natural beauty in Hawaii.
Easter Island, or Rapa Nui, is most famous for its over 1,000 monolithic statues, or
Moai, placed on the tombs of important people.
A great mystery is the way that these Moai were moved to their final locations.
The most recent theory speculates that they were moved using ropes to rock these 14-ton
statues back and forth, walking them along a path to the tomb.
Rock on!
French Polynesia, belonging to France, has over a hundred islands.
The largest and most famous being Tahiti.
Wallis and Futuna, part of French Polynesia, avoids heavily promoting tourism in order
to preserve the nature and cultural heritage of the island.
Let's now consider a two-part critical thinking question.
Here's the first part; what are the benefits and drawbacks of promoting tourism to your
island?
Please pause the video while you answer in your pdf.
You may have speculated that tourism can bring a great deal of income to your island.
Tourism also provides jobs to the local people.
On the other hand, mass tourism exposes the remote island to outside influences, which
could possibly detract from the local culture.
The influx of people could also crowd the island.
So, let's follow up with this question.
If you were a decision-maker on one of these Polynesian islands, would you try to aggressively
promote tourism or try to prevent visitors from coming?
Explain your reasoning.
Please pause the video while you answer in your pdf.
Polynesian culture is largely centered around the rich tradition of boat building, navigation,
and fishing.
Historically, navigators were highly respected and special places were reserved for building
outrigger canoes.
The sea also served as a vital source of nutrients as islanders relied on fish for protein.
Polynesians are known for their fine artistry and craftwork.
In the past even functional items such as fish hooks and weapons were decorated carefully.
Much of this traditional culture was interrupted by colonialism in the mid-20th-century.
Nuclear test sites were installed in Polynesia by France, bringing an influx of foreigners
and untold damage to the paradise islands.
Recently, however, efforts have been made to restore traditional Polynesian culture;
which lives on through vibrant festivals celebrating music, dance, art, and shipbuilding.
One remnant of colonialism that has been adopted by the local islanders is Christianity.
Today, over 80% of Polynesians are Christian; and Samoa even includes Christian values in
its constitution.
Well explorers, you can stop paddling now.
Let's pull our boat up here on the shore, take a breath, and relax.
Throughout this, and other social studies courses, you've learned about intrepid explorers
and non-violent social activists.
Now you are aware that, while not nearly as well known, the Polynesians have left quite
a legacy of their own behind.
So what does this tell you?
Well, no matter how small a people group or how remote their location, the human experience
happens everywhere.
And there's always something new to discover.
And of course, we know there's only one way to keep uncovering these important legacies
my friends, and that's to keep exploring!
[Music Plays]