Heyerdahl Seeks Material

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30978, 7 February 1966, Page 11

Heyerdahl Seeks Material

(N.Z. Pres* Association) DUNEDIN, Feb. 6. Thor Heyerdahl is confident that Hawaiki, the legendary homeland of the Maoris, is in fact Hawaii. The noted Norwegian who is in Dunedin gathering material for his studies, described Hawaii as the “entrance port” of the present Polynesian stock. Heyerdahl’s theory is in direct conflict with the most papular argument that Hawaiki was the island of Ra’iatea in the Tahiti group. “I am sure the South-east Asiatic movement did not go through Melanesia or Micronesia but came with the Japan current reaching Polynesia in the north—at Hawaii,” he said. “This would ease the enormous problems of migration, of sailing against the prevailing winds and of passing through islands already inhabited by hostile tribes.” Further, he said, it was possible to trace the royal ancestors of Maoris back to the people of Hawaii. His book “Kon Tiki,” written after a balsa raft voyage

from South America to Polynesia, was not meant to challenge theories on the ethnic origins of the Polynesians, he said. “I have always agreed that the present Polynesian speaking population came from somewhere in Southeast Asia although many people do not seem to realise this,” he said. “But for almost 30 years I have been working towards proving that not all movements into the area were from South-east Asia. “I am studying pre-Poiy-nesian movements from South America, particularly to Easter Island.” He believes that Polynesians and South Americans mingled on Easter Island. Legendary reports from both the Incas and the Easter Islanders tended to confirm this, he said. Thor Heyerdahl said he had unearthed a new type of statue on Easter Island which was a different type from those that have made the island famous.

The newly discovered statues were made in prePolynesian times. He said the book “AkuAku, the secrets of Easter Island,” was a popular version of a three-volume scien-

tific work which was still being produced. “Before I can finish I want to see all the relevant things about Easter Island throughout the world. “That is why I am here.

I have been meaning to come for years because the Otago Museum and others in New Zealand have the best collections in the world on Polynesia and the Maoris.”