This topic explores the First Encounters between Polynesians cultures (particularly Māori) and European explorers. The resulting cultural interactions had a profound impact on indigenous societies and also defined the New Zealand/Aotearoa of today. Collection includes images, books, articles, websites, videos, and audio.
Curated resource collection
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Kupe - Voyaging By The Stars, in NZonScreen→
/According to Māori legend, Aotearoa was found by the explorer Kupe, chasing a wheke (octopus) from Ra'iatea, Tahiti. This 1993 documentary follows Northland building contractor Hekenukumai 'Hector' Busby, as he leads the construction of a waka hourua, then retraces Kupe's course across the Pacific, back to Rarotonga.
The Matariki Collection, in NZonScreen→
/Celebrate iconic Māori television, film, and music with this collection, in time for the Māori New Year. Watch everything from haka to hip hop, Billy T to the birth of Māori Television. Two backgrounders by former TVNZ Head of Māori Programming Whai Ngata (Koha, Marae) look at Matariki, and the history of Māori programming on New Zealand television. Seventy separate films/series from 1968 to 2011
Ngā Tohu Pūmahara, The Survey Pegs of the Past, Understanding Māori Place Names→
/See page 5, The Survey Pegs of the Past: The booklet gives insights into Māori place names - how they were applied, for whom, and their importance in connecting to whenua and identity.
He Korero Pūrākau Mo Ngā Taunahanahatanga a Ngā Tūpuna, Place Names of the Ancestors, A Māori Oral History Atlas→
/See editor's introduction - the book follows 12 waka migration stories and the place names given by those ancestors.
Uncharted with Sam Neill television series→
/250 years after Captain James Cook began his epic exploration of the Pacific, Sam Neill journeys in his wake uncovering stories that resonate from those times from both sides of the beach. Visiting the islands and lands where Cook went, and meeting the descendants of the people Cook met, Sam explores the trials and triumphs, disasters, and delights that followed. Was Cook an instrument of imperial expansion or an enlightened explorer? Whether admired or admonished, Captain James Cook is forever linked to the Pacific, its heritage, and its future.
"Artefact" television programme by Māori television - website→
/Time travel and delve into taonga both famous and obscure with Dame Anne Salmond, telling tremendous stories about our Aotearoa. Especially:
Episode 1 - Star Travel
Episode 2 - Tangata Whenua
Episode 3 - The Power of Gifts
Abel Tasman 1642 website, by First Encounter 375 Planning Group→
/A website with resources about the visit by Abel Tasman in 1642, and link to a documentary available on Youtube.
Pre-1840 Contact in New Zealand History website, by Ministry for Culture and Heritage→
/Articles entitled:
Early explorers; A frontier of chaos?
Go-betweens
Missionaries
Sealers and whalers
Taming the frontier
He Whakaputanga - Declaration of Independence
The voyages of Captain James Cook→
/Explore the stories, art, and maps of the voyages. The expeditions of James Cook shaped Europe’s knowledge of the world, and had far-reaching consequences for the people of the lands they touched. Explore the stories, art, and maps of the artists and scientists who were on board the ships. The digital collection items include drawings by the Polynesian high priest and navigator Tupaia, who accompanied Cook to New Zealand and Australia. You’ll also find modern-day responses to the expeditions from people of the communities Cook encountered, documented, and learned from. These reflect the different perspectives that exist on the legacy of the voyages and their impact.
Te Takanga o te Wā→
/Te Takanga o te Wā Māori History guidelines, a flip book in both te reo Māori and English for year 1-8, was completed in 2015. It is readily available from the Ministry warehouse Down the Back of the Chair. It is also available from the Ministry website TKI.
Airport! - International Gateway to Christchurch →
/It's been a long 10-hour flight! You've completed your arrival card and your Boeing 777 aircraft has taxied up to the air bridge.
Welcome to Christchurch International Airport! During this field trip you will journey as an international traveler through the airport terminal. You will present yourself and your passport to Immigration staff at border control, claim your luggage, get sniffed by an MPI detector dog and see how Customs work to keep our country safe.
You will discover the airport is one large community supporting you as a traveler, arranging freight movements and contributing to the economy of the city, region, and country. You also have special and rare permission to ride in a state-of-the-art fire truck, see how well prepared the airport is for emergencies, and explore how the environment is cared for.
He Hokinga Whakaaro - reflecting on the First Encounters of Tangata Whenua and Cook in 1769, when New Zealand history changed forever→
/This field trip is a virtual journey back in time. You will stand on the very beach where, centuries ago, one of the first Māori waka landed in New Zealand. You will scan historic landmarks from a boat in Poverty Bay where Captain Cook anchored the Endeavour almost 250 years ago. In between you will visit a marae, identify local plants collected during Captain Cook's voyage, and find out about traditional use of plants by Māori. This trip fits well with big ideas like whakapapa, identity, communities, environments, taonga.
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Where are we? - navigating and positioning on sea, land and air.→
/We all need to know where in the world we are. People rely on knowing their exact location so they can plan and carry out daily activities. In the past you may have used a paper map to find out where you are, now you can use a smart phone. This technology is not only making life easier and safer, it is also changing the world!
During this field trip you will travel to Wellington to investigate the uses and impacts of location based-technology as you journey on land, sea and air. You will meet all sorts of people who work with clever location-based tools and discover more about possible careers in this growing industry.
Waka Voyaging - exploring hauora during an ocean adventure →
/Thousands of years ago, the ancestors of Māori journeyed out of South-East Asia and across the Pacific Ocean. It was a migration that took thousands of years. These people were some of the world's greatest waka builders and sailors. More recently, a waka revival has been gathering momentum throughout the Pacific, including here in New Zealand. People are rediscovering the traditional voyaging style of their ancestors, and connecting with the spirit of their journeys on the open sea.
On this field trip you will meet the crew of Nukutaiao Waka Hourua as they make their final preparations for a sailing expedition to Noumea, a 1600 kilometre, three week ocean voyage using ancient wayfinding techniques. You will learn more about this traditional double hulled waka, along with the training and preparation needed to be a sailor on board for the journey. You will find out what skills and attributes are required to be part of the crew, and how being part of such an expedition can positively affect one’s hauora.
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Kurī, by Priscilla Wehi→
/Māori brought the kurī or Polynesian dog with them when they migrated to Aotearoa New Zealand. This article looks at what we know about kurī, their origins, what they were used for, and why they died out. It incorporates traditional stories about the explorers Tāneatua and Īhenga and explains the importance of kurī to early Māori society.