Search Results for: Polynesians in Antarctica

Nature Ecology & Evolution buys into “indigenous fact claims are always right”

Yesterday I described how a claim by Wehi et al. that the Polynesians were the first to discover Antarctica (in the eighth century!) had been debunked—twice. The claim was based purely on oral legend written down in the 19th century and then mistranslated and misinterpreted.  There’s no doubt that Wehi et al.’s claims were dead … Continue reading Nature Ecology & Evolution buys into “indigenous fact claims are always right”

Once again: did the Maori discover Antarctica?

Nothing better shows the kind of “knowledge” that promoters of New Zealand’s indigenous “ways of knowing” (mātauranga Māori ) want taught in science class than the claim that the Māori—or rather, their ancestral Polynesians—discovered Antarctica in the 7th century A.D. (The Māori could not have done it at that time since their East Polynesian ancestors … Continue reading Once again: did the Maori discover Antarctica?

The battle continues over whether Polynesians discovered Antarctica (hint: they didn’t)

A new article in the widely-read New Zealand website Stuff (click screenshot below), also appearing in the Christchurch Press, revives a controversy which seemed to me to be dead—but is still very much alive in the minds of boosters of Māori “ways of knowing”. It’s also alive for the Royal Society of New Zealand, which … Continue reading The battle continues over whether Polynesians discovered Antarctica (hint: they didn’t)

A sensible way to reconcile Mātauranga Māori and science

I won’t explain in detail the “way of knowing” of the indigenous Māori people of New Zealand, the “traditional knowledge” of Mātauranga Māori (henceforth MM), as it’s defined in Wikipedia.  You can read all my posts about MM and its issues here (including one post yesterday). Suffice it to say two things. MM is a … Continue reading A sensible way to reconcile Mātauranga Māori and science

What’s the evidence that the Polynesians discovered Antarctica? None save ancient myths.

Two days ago I discussed the contention of some Māori scholars and proponents of mātauranga Māori ,or Māori “ways of knowing”, that the Polynesians had “discovered Antarctica” in the early seventh century. (Written records show that the first confirmed discovery of Antarctica was in 1820 by a Russian expedition). If the Māori claim were true, … Continue reading What’s the evidence that the Polynesians discovered Antarctica? None save ancient myths.

Examining one bit of Maori “knowledge”: Did the Maori or other Polynesians discover Antarctica?

UPDATE: Apparently the Guardian fell for this too (click on screenshot): This one’s really bad because the paper fell for the whole story: hook, line, and sinker. Not a word of criticism do they utter, nor is there any attempt to seek out scientist-critics of this unbelievable myth. _____________________ I’m not sure whether the New Zealand … Continue reading Examining one bit of Maori “knowledge”: Did the Maori or other Polynesians discover Antarctica?

The Guardian touts Māori ways of knowing as ways of science

The other day I wrote about a Māori-themed school on New Zealand’s North Island whose curriculum was run by the phases of the moon—a school that seemed deeply steeped in astrology, and thus unlikely to provide anything more than a parochial and ethnic education to a class that was only 9% Māori, but whose educational … Continue reading The Guardian touts Māori ways of knowing as ways of science

Canadian university advertises for scientists expert in Indigenous “ways of knowing”

The combination of Canadian wokeness and the migration across the Pacific of New Zealand’s “indigenous ways of knowing” trope has led to this ad by The University of Victoria.  The U of V wants to hire three candidates in any branch of science with expertise “in either (a) working with Indigenous ways of knowing, or … Continue reading Canadian university advertises for scientists expert in Indigenous “ways of knowing”