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Polynesia, 900–1600
This book provides a concise overview of the history of Polynesia, focusing on New Zealand and its outlying islands, during the period 900–1600. It provides a thematic examination of Polynesia to avoid placing the region’s history into an inaccurate, linear Western chronology. The themes of movement and migration, adaptation and change, and development and expansion offer the optimal means of understanding Polynesia during this time. Through this innovative and unique perspective on Polynesian history, which has not been previously undertaken, the reader is encouraged to think about regions outside Europe in relation to the premodern period.
- GenresNonfictionHistory
104 pages, Paperback
Published June 30, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 11, 2022
Beginning with an acknowledgement of the social construction in language (by Europeans) of terms like Maori and Polynesia - something that’s often not well understood - this succinct book invites further scholarship on this topic and, beyond the subject of history, sets the scene for further debate of epistemological and semiotic underpinnings of human culture in general and science in particular.
While establishing correctly that valid knowledge is contained in oral tradition, this could be taken further: Oral culture was once universal and dominant across all cultures. Typographic culture is actually an anomaly.
There’s no mention of McLuhan - hot and cold / oral, symbolic, and typographical cultures - or Lakoff’s philosophy of metaphors.
Understanding oral cultures - what McLuhan calls hot cultures - as important artefacts would help break some scientists out of well established myths / metaphorical hegemonic language constraints on our thinking. Alfred N. Whitehead would approve.
While establishing correctly that valid knowledge is contained in oral tradition, this could be taken further: Oral culture was once universal and dominant across all cultures. Typographic culture is actually an anomaly.
There’s no mention of McLuhan - hot and cold / oral, symbolic, and typographical cultures - or Lakoff’s philosophy of metaphors.
Understanding oral cultures - what McLuhan calls hot cultures - as important artefacts would help break some scientists out of well established myths / metaphorical hegemonic language constraints on our thinking. Alfred N. Whitehead would approve.
March 11, 2022
TW: Colonisation, mentions of racism and white-washed history
A great start in decolonizing history in Aotearoa - small and easy to digest, with ideas and information to help one rediscover the fascinating and deep history of Maori, Moriori and Rapa Nui peoples.
A great start in decolonizing history in Aotearoa - small and easy to digest, with ideas and information to help one rediscover the fascinating and deep history of Maori, Moriori and Rapa Nui peoples.
January 9, 2023
Brilliant, succinct introduction to the history of Aotearoa, Rēkohu (the Chatham Islands) and Rapa Nui (Easter Island). Williams' introduction in particular has great observations about Western connotations of history and how Māori perceptions of the world, rather than a Western lens, must be used to examine the history of Aotearoa NZ and Polynesia more broadly.
April 2, 2024
Great little book packed with fascinating information about Polynesian society, thought, and history. Really love how it describes oral history as encoding usable information about history and nature.
December 1, 2021
Brief, but chocked full of useful tidbits and commentary.
March 18, 2022
Polynesia 900-1600 is an important source for anyone new to the study of Polynesian and indigenous history. In it Madi Williams' moves away from the Eurocentric view of the "middle ages" and centers the pacific - comparing and contrasting between the oral histories and traditions, and supporting archaeology, of Aotearoa (NZ), Reekohu (Wharekauri/Chatham Islands), and Rapanui (Easter Islands).
Williams shines particularly in the introduction, arguing that historians have largely ignored or warped, or confused the history of Polynesia by focusing too heavily on western approaches to history at the expense of other approaches such as maatauranga Maaori. The impact has been a manipulated vision of the past which Williams' links to troubling western perceptions of Polynesia that still echo today.
Beyond the intro, I felt there wasn't much that hadn't already been said about early Polynesia. The snippets of oral history narratives included certainly showed their potential but I was overall left wanting more. I also struggled somewhat with the writing style with sharp chops and changes between the three regions and cultures. There was also the odd comparison with European vikings which felt unnecessary.
Still Polynesia is worth reading for the introduction's important message, and does provide a good summary of the main scholarly approaches, perspectives and understandings of early Polynesia. A good introduction for anyone studying this fascinating period of history.
Williams shines particularly in the introduction, arguing that historians have largely ignored or warped, or confused the history of Polynesia by focusing too heavily on western approaches to history at the expense of other approaches such as maatauranga Maaori. The impact has been a manipulated vision of the past which Williams' links to troubling western perceptions of Polynesia that still echo today.
Beyond the intro, I felt there wasn't much that hadn't already been said about early Polynesia. The snippets of oral history narratives included certainly showed their potential but I was overall left wanting more. I also struggled somewhat with the writing style with sharp chops and changes between the three regions and cultures. There was also the odd comparison with European vikings which felt unnecessary.
Still Polynesia is worth reading for the introduction's important message, and does provide a good summary of the main scholarly approaches, perspectives and understandings of early Polynesia. A good introduction for anyone studying this fascinating period of history.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews