Week 2 1/16
Introduction
The course work this week explores the first of two foundational aspects for understanding Oceanic history, culture, and worldviews--migration. But first, what (and where) in the world is Oceania? The map below displays the region, however, keep in mind that the boundaries representing what are now commonly referred to as Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia, were set in place by Europeans in the 1800s. These boundaries do not necessarily represent the cultural, political, social, or economic connections shared by peoples in the Pacific historically or, one could argue, even in our contemporary period. Yet, familiarizing yourself with the region and its boundaries will give you a clearer understanding of the thousands of nautical miles voyagers traveled by canoe in the past and what an extraordinary undertaking that was. Moreover, the perpetuation of this tradition is leading the way toward greater exploration of the world we now live in, both within and outside of Oceania's borders.
The course work this week explores the first of two foundational aspects for understanding Oceanic history, culture, and worldviews--migration. But first, what (and where) in the world is Oceania? The map below displays the region, however, keep in mind that the boundaries representing what are now commonly referred to as Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia, were set in place by Europeans in the 1800s. These boundaries do not necessarily represent the cultural, political, social, or economic connections shared by peoples in the Pacific historically or, one could argue, even in our contemporary period. Yet, familiarizing yourself with the region and its boundaries will give you a clearer understanding of the thousands of nautical miles voyagers traveled by canoe in the past and what an extraordinary undertaking that was. Moreover, the perpetuation of this tradition is leading the way toward greater exploration of the world we now live in, both within and outside of Oceania's borders.
Migration Patterns
"Ua hānau ka moku, a kupu" The island was born, and grows. Western academia provides two perspectives on the origins of migration of Oceanic peoples, also referred to as Pacific Islanders. The two ideas are that they came from South-East Asia, from the east of the Pacific Ocean, or from South America, west of the Pacific Ocean. These are academic theories based on Western ideas of evidence. Native positions on origins differs from Western academic views. The native peoples of Oceania understand their migratory histories through navigation. A key event in Hawaiʻi, for example, was the successful voyage of the first contemporary Hawaiian voyaging canoe Hōkūleʻa. In 1976, through the help of Mau Piailug, Master Navigator from Satawal, Micronesia, the first long distance voyage in over one hundred years successfully navigated the journey from Hawaiʻi to the South Sea Islands without any modern instruments. Explore the Never Lost website, paying particular attention to the Origins and Voyage sections (these are the sections that this week's reading quiz will be based on), to learn more about navigation, the Polynesian region, voyaging canoes, and the experiences of navigators working to perpetuate and rebuild this tradition. The website offers information in a number of modes. The video interviews and explanations are particularly powerful and informative and I encourage you to view and listen to the clip of master chanter Kalena Silva in Poetry of Preservation. The video below discusses the origins of Pacific Island cultures using linguistic, archaeological, and DNA evidence. Note that the video has been formatted for use on NOAA's Science on a Sphere, a 6-foot tall animated globe at the Bishop Museum and over 100 locations worldwide
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The first two videos introduce the world wide voyage of the canoes Hōkūleʻa and Hikianaliʻa. The third is from the History channel and briefly explains the significance of Polynesian navigation to global exploration, cross-cultural/societal connections, and theories of migration. VIew these for a quick introduction to Polynesian sea-faring and for a visual overview of the theories in the left-side column.
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Activities
The activities due this week do not require use of the Hawaiian Studies 107 Textbook.
Due dates:
Discussion posts
Reading Quiz
The activities due this week do not require use of the Hawaiian Studies 107 Textbook.
- READINGS: Read and view the links and videos on this page.
- READING QUIZ (RQ): The reading quiz is based on the Origins and Voyages sections of the Never Lost website and must be completed using the tests and quizzes tool. Quiz questions will be in true/false, multiple choice, fill in the blank and/or short answer format. This is not a timed assessment. Please keep in mind that due to spelling and other possible errors the first grade that appears in the gradebook may not be your final score (this pertains only to fill in the blank type questions). I have to double check everything that laulima automatically grades. The title of the quiz to be taken in the tests and quizzes tool is: Unit1-RQ_NeverLost
- DISCUSSION POSTS: In the Discussions tool in the Week 2 category please reply to the topic I have posted regarding the information found on this page, post any questions you have, and respond to questions posted by your fellow classmates. Please read the directions thread before beginning your response. Again, I encourage all of you to post a picture of yourself or an image of some kind. A visual identifier makes our online discussions feel more interactive.
Due dates:
Discussion posts
- Topic question Responses: Responses to the questions posed by me are due by Thursday, January 19 at 11:55 pm.
- Responses to a fellow classmate: Responses to a fellow classmate's post are due by Sunday, January 22at 11:55 pm.
Reading Quiz
- Unit1-RQ_NeverLost is due by Sunday, January 22 at 11:55 pm. QUIZ CANCELLED FOR WEEK 2 DUE TO TECHNICAL ISSUES WITH THE NEVER LOST SITE