Nainoa Thompson on Polynesian Wayfaring | StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson 

Nainoa Thompson was taught by Mau Piailug how to navigate by stars in the 70's. Mau Piailug was one of the last master navigators left in the world at the time, navigating by the stars in the open ocean. Native Hawaiians like Nainoa Thompson, had lost the knowledge of celestial navigation in the centuries past. Native Hawaiians used to regularly navigate between Hawaii and Tahiti for 200-400 years but suddenly stopped in the 14th century. Mau Piailug's people in Micronesia still practiced celestial navigation into the 20th century because the Micronesian islands are smaller and more spread out than the Hawaiian islands, so they retained the knowledge for survival, requiring them to celestial navigate between islands.

In Tonga, where my ancestors are from, the Moala and Toutai family are 2 of the many family's who are specifically in charge of navigating the King's royal vessels from ancient times even to this day. They still know how to use the old voyage techniques but it is very sacred and is not taught to anyone but those specific families in Tonga. That's why Papa Mau ended up teaching the Micronesian way of navigation as it relates more to Hawaii being so far up North. The Tongan Royals and noblemen still have the ability to navigate the old Polynesian way even to this day using Toloa (The flying duck) aka Orions belt which points to different islands according to their locations. During the day they go by the sun's movement in the sky, ocean current, water temperature, pulse of the water, fish species, bird migrations, clouds formations and colors and so much more. ✊🏾 God bless! (Edit: Here is part of the video I wish they kept the entire thing up. Only difference is recent discoveries show Polynesia was settled by my ancestors 1000 B.C. by the Lapita migration group and not 1300 A.D.) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-DT_MGuZlcFY.html Your Tongan friend from Utah

This shows how smart Polynesians,Micronesians,Melanesia’s were

This ability to create a mental construct is very important problem solving tool in most of physics

Credit to Micronesian who still practice navigating this way and taught him.

Polynesians were the greatest navigators

Excellent observation and comments by Nainoa Thompson!!!

Fascinating! I am certified in celestial nav and have made three voyages from the US west coast. But I never felt that the stars were internalized like this gentleman describes. I'm sure there is much more and now I am going to find out. Thanks!

Amazing!! Didn't know that was possible. But now I need another one. So I really hope some one is putting together future episodes and topics and what not.

Amazing man with great knowledge that nainoa thompson. Simple man. From a simple place. My home. Hawaii. 🙏🏼

Stars talk as we talk about the Stars 🌟

Full interview please?? I’ll even pay for this interview

Polynesian Stick Charts are another cool navigation tool they used to describe ocean current flows to easily move island from to island.

Hey Star Talk keep up the good work

Please expand on this and look at the interconnections of the varying P.I. cultures when looking at the navigation techniques and engineering.

This has made me so happy!!

Wow. Too short. Tell me more 💓

Micronesians retaught other Islanders (that forgot) the way of navigating by stars.

Knew about the wooden compass, did not know the whole story of how it worked! Cool!!!!

Polynesian are the real Vikings

That's incredible.

So if you can sail from polynesian islands to Hawaii and tiny Easter island You could also reach the Americas.

Awesome

Wheres the full episode

stars are hot.

Everyone is always wrapped up in what has happened in the last 5 to 7,000 years because of religious beliefs and history. Star procession takes 26000 years and would take much longer to realize coming full circle and that knowledge would have to be passed on. I'm thinking we have been around as modern humanoids longer then they give our ancient humanoid ancestors credit.

If you fill your star houses with enough stars that you can set direction any time you can see stars because something in the house is always on or near enough to the horizon that works when stars are visible. What about during the day, how accurate do you have to keep time during daylight to know how to calculate your direction considering any shadow depends on latitude and time of day?

where can we find the full episode in video?

Polynesians are the first to travel vast distance from new zealand the samoan islands hawaii Easter island and to the Americas some say they made it as far as alaska - polynesian and native Americans DNA share the same ancestor

Where’s the full interview

That technique gives you a compass you can use on a clear night when stars near the horizon are visible. What about during the day? The sun would give only an approximate direction unless you know precisely what time it is. If you know the time, you use could use something like a sundial in reverse, but they didn’t have clocks.

I use wayfaring about destinations ...not so much maps and really don't trust GPS ( in what has gotten me lost before with malfunction.) The sun is a star that one can wayfare when one wants to know direction in the day. Not the same as ancestor wayfaring though.

Polynesian uses star, cloud, sea movement, certain creatures as birds...

Mapping stars before it became common knowledge #bluebackyard

Tonga Lapita Origin of Polynesia 😊

Holy shit! Mintaka is a real star?! I thought the Star Trek writers made that up O.O

I highly recommend this documentary if anyone reading is interested in learning more about Mau Piailug and wayfinding navigation in Oceania: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-uxgUjyqN7FU.html Aloha 😊⛵️🤙🏼

*Nainoa name in the description is wrong

TheRock: You’re welcome. People: Ok. We get it.

I LOVE THE PART WHERE THE GUEST TELLS NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON THAT YOU HAVE TO IMAGINE IT'S A FLAT EARTH FOR THIS TO WORK AND THEN NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON HOLD HIS ARMS OUT IN I ORDERED TO DESCRIBE WHAT THE FLAT EARTH WOULD LOOK LIKE AS YOU'RE NAVIGATIG IT WITH STARS ABSOLUTELY FUCKING HILARIOUS SO SO HILARIOUS🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Ancient science, not superstition.

WHAT SCIENTIFIC EXPERIMENT RENDERED SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE USING THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD THAT PROVES ANY OF YOUR HELIOCENTRIC THEORIES TO BE TRUE????

Dr. Tyson, You should invite Sadguru for a discussion. Fireworks for sure 🔥. Please do consider. Regards

Remember that time a US aircraft carrier tried to intimidate a Spanish lighthouse to veer 15 degrees to avoid collision? Didn't have a star compass. 😂

Funny how mix palagis tell us about our culture smh

Bowditch

Maori polynesians

Neil Degrasse Tyson is a black man which means his ancestors are the oldest people on earth who are the originators of navigating using stars so not only does he not know history he doesn’t know science either 🤦🏾‍♂️

36 doors to the 36 houses in the 12 heavens. Rehua, keeper of the knowledge of the Universe resides in the 12th heaven. Hawaiki nui, Hawaiki roa, Hawaiki pamamao is a constellation of 3 stars in the 1st heaven. Ariki are those born to the nights of the full moon, when all 36 doors to the 36 houses in the 12 heavens are open...