By: Noa Bryan

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For thousands of years, civilizations have charted their way around the world, with the help of the stars
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This is how some of the most remote islands on earth, like Easter Island,
Tahiti, and the Pitcarin Island are all inhabited

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Although Europeans are highly credited in the first to sail long distances in the ocean, the people of the pacific,
Polynesians sailed hundreds of years before them
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The Polynesians showed the ocean the up-most respect, as they did in the skies after the power of the stars was discovered

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The double hull canoe was the most formidable device for the Polynesians to explore the ocean with
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When the population of an island would get to large, navigators would go out and sail uncharted seas, in search of new land

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The ocean navigators would live on their craft for weeks at a time, they traveled thousands of miles without a single compass.
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Their method of navigation, a science in itself, star navigation
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Just how to go about this was passed down through Polynesian culture orally for many hundreds of years

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Captain Cook left Tahiti with a
Polynesian passenger by the name of
Tupaia.
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Tupaia helped guide Cook hundreds of miles south to a small island called
Rurutu
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Cook was astounded by the nature of
Tupaia’s navigation, but the knowledge was never exchanged, as Tupaia died of Malaria

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After watching the exact movements of the stars religiously, the Polynesian navigators noticed particular motions of particular stars
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The particular direction the star traveled in, gave them an indication of longitude/latitude.
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Stars rising in the east and setting in the west (Latitude) like Orion for instance became very important in
Polynesian mythology

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Longitude could be determined by looking at circumpolar stars, such as
Polaris for instance. The further south traveled, the lower Polaris appears to the horizon
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These are a few of the methods in which the Polynesians used to voyage the seas

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Day by day, the ancient way of navigating the stars became more obsolete, as Western technology and instruments became a popular choice for most voyages
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It seemed this ancient art was coming to an end

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Then, when it seemed the art was almost long gone, the Polynesian
Voyaging Society brought it all back
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On march 8th 1975, a replica, built to scale of an old Polynesian voyaging canoe, was launched

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The ship was known as the Hokulea
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The Hokulea is most famous for its voyage from Hawaii to Tahiti in 1976, manned solely by Hawaiians and
Polynesians, using no modern day navigational tools, only ancient
Polynesian voyaging techniques were used
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Besides traveling the ocean seas, a secondary goal of this ship was to help bring back Hawaiian and Polynesian culture, that before this event took place, was somewhat lost

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Although modern day technology has made the ancient art of navigation through the stars obsolete, it will continue to live on through the actions of those who find pride in the accomplishments of their ancestors

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghoj
MWv5AZA Captain Cook Voyages with
Polynesians
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSNv lFwVzNU&feature=channel Hokulea
Homecoming

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Kahoolawe Island | Ancient Hawaiian Navigation." Maui Sailing | Tours, Boats, Harbor Maps, & Sailing Activities in Maui, Hawaii . Web. 07 Feb. 2011. < http://www.mauisailing.com/kahoolawe-island.html>
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"NOVA Online | Secrets of Easter Island | Ancient Navigation." PBS: Public Broadcasting Service . Web. 07 Feb.
2011. < http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/easter/civilization/navigation.html>
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"Early Hawaiian Ocean Navigators." Coffee Times - 100% Pure Kona Coffee . Web. 07 Feb. 2011.
< http://www.coffeetimes.com/may98.htm>
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"Hawaiian Encyclopedia : Kahoolawe." Hawaiian Encyclopedia - Hawaii History|Reference Guide . Web. 09 Feb.
2011. < http://www.hawaiianencyclopedia.com/kahoolawe.asp
>

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Thank You :)