Re: Maori Weaving (was Phormiums)
Barry Garcia wrote:
> >
> I have heard the same thing. Hawaiian and Maori words are also quite close
> (well, all of the polynesian languages are quite close in phonology, etc).
> I think of all the island groups, New Zealand was one of the last Island
> groups to be colonized by Polynesians, so i'm sure the ancestors of
> hawaiians reached New Zealand.
>From odd words I have seen quoted, Hawaian is much closer to Maori than
some of the other Polynesian languages (Samoan, for instance). The main
difference seems to be the Hawaians went for the L and dropped the R,
while the Maori did the opposite.
>
> I also hear that the collecting of feathers by feather gatherers in Hawaii
> led to some extinctions of birds (not sure though).
I wouldn't be at all surprised. There was one bird here, the Huia,
which was remarkable in that the male and female had different shaped
beaks (which they used in a combined operation getting grubs out of
wood). Unluckily for the bird it also had striking large tail feathers
striped in black and white which became prized by chiefs and other
important persons to wear in their hair. By the time of European
settlement the species was under considerable pressure and this was made
worse by several natualists intent on getting specimens before all
disappeared (no thoughts of conservation in those days, alas). Well,
evetually the pressure did get too much and the last live Huia was seen
about 1923 I think, not far away from where we live.
Moira
--
Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
Wainuiomata, New Zealand. (on the "Ring of Fire" in the SW Pacific).
Lat. 41:16S Long. 174:58E. Climate: Mediterranean/Temperate
