Māori may have been the first to discover Antarctica, with connections to the icy continent and its surrounding oceans stretching back to the seventh century, researchers say. According to the oral histories of Māori tribal groups Ngāti Rārua and Te Āti Awa, the first human to travel to the Antarctic was the Polynesian explorer Hui Te Rangiora. Later, researchers say, Māori sailor Te Atu is often described as the first Māori, as well as the first New Zealander, to view the coast of Antarctica in 1840. The researchers also conducted a review of ongoing Māori involvement with, and journeys to, Antarctica, noting that “Narratives of under-represented groups and their connection to Antarctica remain poorly documented and acknowledged”. The paper, ‘A short scan of Māori journeys to Antarctica’ was published in the Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand.

Source: The Guardian June 11, 2021 05:37 UTC