11.7 Were customs and culture the same everywhere? • Almost all Polynesian communities practised tapu (taboo), which helped them govern their actions towards each other and the land around them. • Mana (spiritual energy) was affected by tapu and was used by Polynesians to explain the world around them. • Art was very important to all Polynesian communities. Although they came from the same roots, each new settlement developed its own set of customs and traditions, including art. • Tatau (tattoo) was practised all throughout Polynesia. Examples of tatau have been found in Lapita art aswell. 11.8 What happened when Polynesians settled and stayed? • The people of Polynesia had a great impact on their environment. Many adapted effectively but some kept their traditional ways. • R̄ahui (prohibition) was tied to the concept of tapu and helped Polynesians avoid overusing the resources available to them. • Warfare and conflict were present in many Polynesian communities. The M̄aori in particular fought over resources and land in Aotearoa and built their villages to be defensible. 11.9 Inquiry: Religion in Polynesia • The Polynesian cosmology is diverse and complex, and each new branch of explorers built their own version. 11.10.2 Key terms anthropologist a person who studies the culture and beliefs of different groups of people archipelago an area that contains a chain or group of islands scattered in lakes, rivers or the ocean atoll a circular coral island often enclosing a lagoon cannibalism the practice of eating human flesh caste a social status which is set by birth and passed down from one’s parents and family members cosmology the world view of a group of people, including gods, goddesses, creation stories and explanations for the way things are deity a god or goddess double-hulled canoe a canoe with two connected parallel hulls — a feature that made it light, fast and stable filigree a type of delicate ornament made from fine threads of metal genealogy the study of the past and present members of a family geyser a hot spring that sends a jet of steam and boiling water into the air gourd an edible fruit with a shell that can be dried and used for storage kumara sweet potato obsidian a type of rock that is almost like glass pantheon the collection of gods, goddesses and other deities worshipped in a religion petroglyph a form of art where rocks are carved with images pounamu a term for several types of hard green stone found in New Zealand which were highly valued by the M̄aori rafter sloping timbers supporting the outer covering of a roof taro the root of a plant that is made edible through boiling thermal relating to heat or temperature trolling lure a hook designed to trail behind a boat or canoe and mimic dying, injured or fast-moving prey yam a potato-like tropical plant used as food
Jacaranda Humanities Alive 8 Victorian Curriculum Third Edition
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