Contact and Change

I'm going to write an essay about the contact and changes between the Pacific Islanders and the Europeans.  For those who doesn't know what Contact and Change is, Contact and Change is when somebody contact with a one and other and change their lifestyle. In my essay I'm going to be talking about the Tongan time, The way the Samoans thought of the Europeans and also the big major problem between the Maori’s and the Missionaries.

Tonga-

Captain James Cook’s voyage around Tonga was really good he decided to call it the ‘Friendly Island’,  Captain Cook visited Tonga three times and on the third time James Cook visited Tonga the Tongans decided to ambush him with his crew. Cook decided to depart Tonga at 7:00 pm, The Tongans planned to ambush Cook and his crew at at the same time. The Tongans used the sun as the clock. When its sunset its 7:00 pm for the Tongans. As for the Palangis they  used the clock as the time. Once it hit  7:00 the Palangis left Tonga, They departed and the sun was still up. The sun went down and the Tongans ran out with their spares and machete’s ready to ambush Cook. But too bad Captain James Cook and his crew already left.

Samoa-

When a French Ship captain by La Perouse washed upon the northern side of the island of tutuila,they called them papalangi, Meaning heaven breakers. Samoans called the French ‘Heaven Breakers’ because of the colour of their skin (white). Soon after that 11 people of his crew were killed when they went ashore for water.  For years after, ships exploring the Pacific people kept clear of Samoa.

Maori-

The Maori’s like it having the missionaries around their area, They taught the Female Maori’s how to dress up and cover the top part of their body using clothings like T-Shirts, bra’s? and etcetera. Missionaries came with a stove and a pot so that the Maori’s stop cooking their food on the fire down by near the beach or in the back yard. The education and the English language was getting better and better for the Maori’s. Everything was just fine until the the Maori discovered that the Missionaries came along with the most ‘Deadly Diseases’ ever, Like the Typhoid, Whooping Cough, Dysentery, Measles and Influence (flu) was the most ‘Deadliest’ Diseases around the Country.

Conclusion-

Overall I believe that the changes that the Missionaries made was worth it. As you can see the missionaries did a lot of things to change the world, Even up to changing the Maori’s beliefs from praying to the Sea and Forest to becoming  an Christianity. (Follower of Jesus)

Theories Of Migration

Thousands of years ago, the ancestors of Māori journeyed out of South-East Asia and into the Pacific. They sailed in waka (canoes), and were some of the world's greatest canoe builders, navigators and mariners.

Waka  (canoes)

The earliest sailing vessels of Polynesian ancestors were rafts and dugout canoes. They were used on short voyages, but because dugouts capsized easily, and rafts were prone to swamping, they were not suitable for long distances. Eventually, an outrigger (a second hull) was fixed to the side. This made canoes faster and more stable. With these changes people could sail across long stretches of open sea. Sails and steering paddles were added for greater speed and control. Polynesian double-hulled canoes or twin-hulled canoes were similar to outrigger canoes. They were fast and easy to manoeuvre, and could sail rougher waters. They ranged in length from 20 metres for long trips, up to a giant 36 metres for shorter journeys. For comparison, Captain James Cook’s ship, the Endeavour, was 33 metres long.

Ocean voyaging

To prepare for the voyage, sailors stocked canoes with food and water. People would memorise the routes, or record them in songs. Directions were taken from the landscape in relation to the paths of stars. Traditional navigators used the rising and setting points of stars and planets as signposts. During the day, the sun was a guide, and in overcast weather, ocean swells and wind direction were used to chart the way.

Voyagers knew land was ahead even before they could see it. Migrating birds may have helped show the way to new lands, and fishing birds such as gannets, terns and petrels were a sign that land was not far away. Pods of whales may also have guided canoes to New Zealand – the ancestor Paikea is said to have arrived on a whale.

Navigators could also find land by reading the position of stars, the colour and formation of clouds, and the pattern of waves.