How did Polynesian wayfinders navigate the Pacific Ocean? - Alan Tamayose and Shantell De Silva 

Always amaze how ancient people unfold things like finding direction, star mapping, calculating days in a year, building pyramids and the likes without technology. Genius.

How the ancient Polynesians reached all those remote islands with essentially stone age technology is one of the greatest feats of human ingenuity in history. The wit and daring required to succeed at this perfectly encompasses everything that makes us human and sets us apart from simple animals.

European explorer: we are the best sailor Polynesians: Hold my canoe

In Indonesia we have the song "nenek moyangku seorang pelaut" or "my ancestors were seafarer". I'm still amazed on the polynesian ways to see Ocean as a conector instead of barrier

If only Odysseus had such skills

As a Tongan this was how my grandfather used to navigate his trip on the water and on land. The southern cross constellation was his key thing and remembered where they stood even if it was day and would name the Northern star - Tokelau , the south most star- Tonga, the Western most star- Hihifo and the Eastern most star - Hahake as these were the ancient names out ancestors used for these four main stars

When your ancestors were rocking the game thousands of years ago and you're a Samoan who can't swim well😂😭

*meanwhile Columbus lands at america.."india!!!"*

Meanwhile I have trouble telling left from right...

TBH a lot of us were probably introduced to the concept of wayfinders from 'Moana'. This video is obviously a more historical approach. Great video 👍

what we will never know is how many might have perished in that vastness. such incredible risk in these undertakings, their bravery should not be discounted.

There are still Polynesian's practicing these techniques today. If you want to really know what it is like to be a Polynesian navigator, research Nainoa Thompson and the Hōkūleʻa. I wish this video incorporated more about the other people of Polynesia - Samoans, Tahitians, Fijians, Tongans, etc. It would have been nice to hear the different languages as well, not only ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi.

I'm always amazed at how different people from different continents in ancient times without having had any contact to each other figured out all the same technologies and used similar methods of navigation and mathematics.

~w~ as a Tahitian I am proud someone talks about Polynesia ❤

Those guys were ridiculous 3500 years ago. Incredibly smart and crafty people 🤯

In AP art history, I learned about these objects called mattangs and rebbelibs which were made of sticks and shells and they were navigational tools which showed the ocean swells and the positions of islands. The amazing thing is that they weren't taken on journeys, but memorized by the navigator. It's crazy to me that they could remember and navigate the ocean currents.

"Aue, aue! Te fenua, te mālie! nā heko hakilia, we know the way!"

Good work, Alan, Shantel and Ted-ed team.

When I was at the Polynesian Center in Hawaii they also told us that the navigators would use the temperature of the water as a guide. Based on how warm or cold it was they knew if they could estimate how much closer they were to their destination. Truly remarkable how in tune they were with their surroundings

As a Samoan I am proud of what my ancestors achieved. They were nicknamed "the Island of the Navigators" by early French Explorer Louis-Antoine Bougainville for their advanced knowledge in star mapping, using wind patterns, using the sun rise and set points, wave currents etc to navigate the seas.

Proud to say im a descendant of these great seafaring people. ❤️ Pls pray for us for we are losing our ways to the western world🙏🏽

Wow! I really admire their ingenuity, observational skills and sheer courage. Truly impressive and admirable.

Thank you TedEd for shedding some wonderful light on the history of Polynesia in a beautiful and educated way. Mahalo

This video neglects to acknowledge Micronesia and Melanesia- other regions in the Pacific. This is especially important to know because Hawai'i actually lost the tradition of navigation (through colonization) and had a Micronesian navigator bring it back. This video can easily be more accurate and more encompassing of others in the Pacific.

This is absolutely badass. Science fiction based on this way of understanding the world would be very cool.

“Born too late to explore the world, born too early to explore the universe...” *sigh* “born just in time to contemplate ones existence and be depressed about it”

This is amazing. Some serious use of observation, scientific method, and complex mathematics (at least without the use of the computer) to navigate. Utter amazing.

this might be the coolest thing i’ve ever heard about humans doing. much respect.

I see a lot of mentions about the movie Moana. I loved the movie myself and even advised on Moana materials for the Disney parks. From what I know before Moana, what I saw in the making of it and what I saw in the movie, Disney respectfully portrayed our seafaring culture - albeit thru their lens. It was beautifully done and visually I don't think anyone could have done it better and shared it with more people. Now, if you're truly interested in learning about wayfinding and Pacific Island cultures, I encourage you to do your own research. Moana is just a small sample of our rich history that is hardly well known until recently. There are still a lot of unknowns, which makes it even more fascinating! -jp

Forever grateful to sea masters of the Pacific for enriching the human heritage. Polynesians will always have a soft place in my heart, as their ancestors courage and ingenuity are truly inspirational.

Very amazing that my ancestors managed this. Whenever I think I am lost, I remember that I will find my way just as my people always have.

The ancient people of Oceania: Polynesia, Melanesia, Micronesia.

I am in awe of this accomplishment.

Proud to be a Polynesian (Malayo Polynesian). greetings from Indonesia!

Amazing. Always been fascinated by the way Polynesian wayfinders navigate

Living on the island of Hawai'i for almost half a decade one of the things I loved most was the clouds... every day they would form... as the air moved into the mountains and scrunched up... it's what creates the dubbed "coffee belt" on Kona with some great opportunities to growing coffee as rainfall is guaranteed almost every day. The cloud would bring shade from the tropical sun, rain and tropical showers to cool things down further, and were just awesome to look at everyday. Much different than the cloud formations I'm used to from where I grow up. I love the clouds there.

I feel like I’ve seen a musical number about this before.

Nianoa Thompson explained this whole thing to us. Such a cool experience. An amazing man and a huge inspiration to me.

What an intriguing video. Thank you Alan Tamayose for sharing your knowledge

Loved the illustrations in this one

I want first state that as someone of Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) descent I want to apologize to my fellow Pacific Island brothers and sisters (specifically my brothers and sister from Micronesia) for the ignorance that this video expresses. As a Kanaka Maoli (who knows my people's history), I know that while we did sail across the Moananuiākea (the Pacific) and settled in Hawaiʻi our knowledge of wayfinding was lost to time and only reclaimed with the help of Master Navigator Papa Mau Piailug from Satawal, Yap (in Micronesia) who taught Kanaka Maoli like Nainoa Thompson, Bruce Blankenfeld, Chad Kalepa Baybayan, Milton "Shorty" Bertlemann, and Chad ʻOnohi Paishon. In the 1970s, when we were trying reclaim that lost knowledge, we here in Hawaiʻi sought out individuals that still retained their knowledge of wayfinding and Papa Mau was one of only 6 people alive in the world (at the time) who knew this ancient artform and it was unusual for Master Navigators to teach pupils outside of their own culture (Papa Mau being of Satawal). Wayfinding methods were used all across the Moananuiākea (all across the Pacific) as we island people didn't just originate on these islands (there were waves of migration into the Pacific most likely stemming from Southeast Asia that traversed the Pacific going to and settling in places like Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Vanuatu, Palau, Guam, Yap, Chuuk, Tahiti, Samoa, Rapa Nui, Aotearoa, and Hawaiʻi. Unfortunately, the artform (as a whole) across the Pacific was nearly lost and only brought back because of Papa Mau Piailug, our brother from across the Moananuiākea in Satawal which makes it the Micronesian wayfinding navigation. TED-Ed, for a RU-vid channel that claims to celebrate the ideas of teachers and student around the world, you folks clearly didn't do your due diligence on this topic. And lastly, I want to thank my Micronesian brothers and sisters for helping us reclaim wayfinding and say that I recognize you as it is was not Polynesian wayfinding that navigated the Pacific Ocean, it was Pacific Island wayfinding navigated the Pacific Ocean

It's remarkable to realize that this civilization had done incredible strategies to endure and survive ancient times.

The illustrations/animations are incredible

This was a really cool video! Thanks for sharing and keep making them please

As an austronesian, I would love to travel to the polynesian islands and the rest of the micronesia one day to learn more about the different cultures we have from one another. It's amazing how we look so similar to each other, yet share no similar values at all

I'm 100% Tongan and I need a GPS to go outside and get the mail.

Thank God, finally an answer! I have always wondered about this.

It's really show how connected people back then with the nature by observation and application of the knowledge efficiently. Thank youu ted ed and the teams❤️💐

Im Micronesian & we are still traveling by the winds & stars❤️

Ancient Polynesian : navigate the Sea only using the sky Meanwhile me an indonesian : * having trouble using a compass

Wonderful Lesson, thank you!

Polynesian canoes: Wa'a Kaulua Philippine canoes: karakoa

They learned from a demigod silly

So complex and genius!

This has always amazed me.

Not to be pacific but not all seas are oceans you sea btw, I always wave but ted-ed never notice

incredible. respect.

this was so amazing i kinda cried and it took me by surprise

Beautiful and informative video!

As a Maori i would just like to share the fact there is more to Polynesian Culture & the Pacific than just the Hawaiian Island Chain. Interesting little piece even putting aside it's narrow focus on Polynesian Heritage & Custom's.

Thank you Mau Piailug and Nainoa Thompson for saving this wonderfully complex art from extinction!

Just incredible

I remember when I spent time in Brazil and saw the Southern Cross for the first time. It's like a glorious kite in the sky. I miss it now that I'm back in North America.

Polynesians are the best sailors of world.

I would encourage anyone who wants to know more about this subject to get hold of “We, The Navigators” by David Lewis (1972). An undeniable classic, Lewis recounts his voyages as guided by contemporary traditional navigators from the Caroline islands. Possibly the greatest literary crossover between empirical science and ocean adventure.

the animation on this videos is fantastic

That was awesome!

Wow, amazing

*I'm Impressed!!!!*

I'm so grateful for places like this, where some of the lesser known histories of the world, like mine shown here, are brought to light. Thanks! 🤙🏽 Aloha!

Amazing keep doing what ya doing bloody amazing

When your Polynesian friend watching Moana: its my mother

This is how my grandpa went to school everyday

This is amazing information 👍 their contribution is the reason for todays easy life .

Great video 👍🏼

I have so much respect for my ancestors and I am proud to be a Polynesian :)

I love it! It's in depth and the pronunciations of all the Hawaiian words are on point. Mahalo for sharing this! #CultureRaising

this is fantastic

That is amazing!

THEY KNEW THE WAY!!

“If the water is warm, then you’ll know you’re there”

THANK YOU this is really important in the argument that early settlers navigated to the americas.

Brilliant stuff.

Imagine being one of the first people who accidentally drifted too far from shore and after traveling through open ocean for days or weeks, suddenly landing on an uninhabited island

Columbus's naysayers: "The ocean is too vast, you'll never make it to Asia before your stores run out, if treacherous currents don't sink your ships first." Ancient Polynesians: "Let’s sail into this enormous ocean and hope we don't run out of islands."

Good stuff!

Good video and description of the Polynesian odyssey.

Sun, moon, stars, planets, ocean currents, and clouds were used in navigation. Impressive!

Ancient people are so cool. They knew all the useful stuff, while only know trivia.

They are amazing people!

Cool vid man, thanks.

Polynesians are amazing!

Such brilliant travellers! Better than Columbus!

Fascinating!!

Totally remarkable!

The canoe is from the Fijians called the drau if you see the design it’s Fijian ... best warship back in the day ! Captain Cook when first came about to Tonga he decided to stay far away because these canoe are known to be very fast !

"We read the wind and the sky when the sun is high,We sail the length of the seas on the ocean breeze,At night we name every star, We know where we are,We know who we are, who we are...

Simply beautiful

Great video; really interesting. I'll use this for my fantasy book for sure.

Polynesian Represent! ;)