The Journal of the Polynesian Society VOLUME 116 No.3 SEPTEMBER 2007 THE POLYNESIAN SOCIETY THE UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND NEW ZEALAND
THE JOURNAL OF THE POLYNESIAN SOCIETY Volume 116 SEPTEMBER 2007 Number 3 Editor JUDITH HUNTSMAN Review Editor MARK BUSSE Editorial Assistants CLAUDIA GROSS DOROTHY BROWN Published quarterly by the Polynesian Society (Inc.), Auckland, New Zealand
Published in New Zealand by the Polynesian Society (Inc.) Copyright 2007 by the Polynesian Society (Inc.) Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research, criticism, or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part of this publication may be reproduced by any process without written permission. Inquiries should be made to: ISSN 0032-4000 Hon. Secretary The Polynesian Society c/- Mäori Studies The University of Auckland Private Bag 92019, Auckland Indexed in CURRENT CONTENTS, Behavioural, Social and Managerial Sciences, in INDEX TO NEW ZEALAND PERIODICALS, and in ANTHROPOLOGICAL INDEX. AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND
Volume 116 SEPTEMBER 2007 Number 3 CONTENTS Notes and News... 285 Article MICHAEL P. J. REILLY Gifts from the Sea: The Two Iron Axes of Mangaia... 287 Shorter Communications JUDITH BINNEY Paphurihia, Pukerenga, Te Atua Wera and Te Näkahi: How Many Prophets?... 309 ANNE DI PIAZZA and ERIK PEARTHREE A New Reading of Tupaia s Chart... 321 PAUL VAN DER GRIJP Tabua Business: Re-Circulation of Whale Teeth and Bone Valuables in the Central Pacific.... 341 Reviews Balme, Christopher B.: Pacific Performances: Theatricality and Cross-Cultural Encounter in the South Seas. LEE WALLACE... 357 Lange, Raeburn: Island Ministers: Indigenous Leadership in Nineteenth Century Pacific Islands Christianity. MICHAEL GOLDSMITH... 360 Steadman, David W.: Extinction and Biogeography of Tropical Pacific Birds. MELINDA S. ALLEN... 362
Tent, Jan and Paul Geraghty (eds): Borrowing: A Pacific Perspective. MIRIAM MEYERHOFF... 364 Van Tilberg, Jo Anne: Among Stone Giants: The Life of Katherine Routledge and Her Remarkable Expedition to Easter Island. MARA MULROONEY... 366 Van Tilberg, Jo Anne: Remote Possibilities: Hoa Hakananai a and HMS Topaze on Rapa Nui. MARA MULROONEY... 367 Publications Received... 369 Minutes of the 2007 Annual General Meeting... 371 Publications of the Polynesian Society... 374
NOTES AND NEWS Contributors to This Issue Judith Binney is Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Auckland. She is author of a number of books and essays on Mäori and European interaction, including Redemption Songs: A Life of Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Turuki, which won the Montana Book of the Year Award in 1996, and The Legacy of Guilt: A Life of Thomas Kendall, 2nd edition 2005. In 2006 she received the Prime Minister s Award for Literary Achievement, Non-fiction. Anne Di Piazza is a research archaeologist and a member of CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), which is affiliated with the French Centre for Pacific Studies (CREDO). Her main interests are in voyaging, experimental navigation, computer simulation and settlement of the Pacific. Erik Pearthree is an archaeologist affiliated with the French Centre for Pacific Studies (CREDO) in Marseille, France, and Search Incorporated in Gainsville, Florida. His interests include experimental voyaging, oceanic canoes and prehistoric interaction in the Pacific. Michael Reilly is an Associate Professor in Te Tumu, The School of Mäori, Pacific and Indigenous Studies at the University of Otago. After earlier studying history and te reo Mäori at secondary school in West Auckland and at Victoria University of Wellington, he began exploring the history of Mangaia in the late 1980s and completed a Ph.D. on that topic at the Australian National University. He is interested in understanding the cultural connections between Mäori in Aotearoa, Mangaia and other islands. His present focus on publishing Mangaian language manuscripts reflects his previous education in Mäori Studies, with its emphasis on rediscovering ancestral writings for the benefit of contemporary generations. Paul van der Grijp is Professor of Anthropology at the University of Science and Technology in Lille, France, and a member of the Research and Documentation Centre on Oceania (CREDO) at the Maison Asie-Pacifique in Marseilles. He specialises in economic and political anthropology, and has written several books and articles on Western Polynesia. Recently, he published a book on private collecting: Passion and Profit: Towards an Anthropology of Collecting (Berlin: Lit Verlag, 2006). The New Edition of Ngä Möteatea complete with the Launch of Part IV On 19 July 2007, some 100 guests attended a splendid launch for Ngä Möteatea Part IV at Waipapa Marae, The University of Auckland. The new edition of all four parts of Ngä Möteatea is now complete. The Society was delighted that Dr Pita Sharples, formerly an Associate Professor of Education at the University of Auckland and presently a Member of Parliament representing the Mäori Party, was able to launch the final volume. He spoke with characteristic humour about several people involved with the project and referred to particularly notable waiata inscribed in the book. Other speakers included Takutai 285
286 Notes & News Whikiriwhi and Professor Tamati Reedy on behalf of Ngäti Porou; Kaumätua from Ngäti Awa; Distinguished Professor Hirini Moko Mead, who translated Part IV; and Associate Professor Judith Huntsman, Honorary Editor of Polynesian Society. Dr Joseph Te Rito of Ngä Pae o te Maramatanga (The National Institute of Research Excellence for Maori Development and Advancement) acted as Master of Ceremonies. A party of Ngäti Awa supported Professor Mead and sang the wonderful Ngäti Awa Waiata Tangi, No. 343 in Part IV. A fine häkari followed. The JPS to be available through EBSCO databases. The Journal of the Polynesian Society will be made available through the EBSCO Publishing (USA) database aggregator, which is one of the largest providers of electronic journals worldwide. The JPS will be included in both its SocIndex database and in its newest offering Academic Search Complete. Initially (April 2007), Academic Search Complete will provide a collection of 5,318 full-text journals, and this figure is expected to grow to more than 6,000 within the next 12 to 18 months. The University of Auckland Library s New Zealand and Pacific Digital Collections launched The University s Fale Pasefika was the venue for the launch of the Pacific Digital Collections held by the University of Auckland Library, and special attention was given to the major project of digitising the first 100 years of the JPS. Professor Dame Anne Salmond, who launched the Collections, spoke of treasures handed down and now handed out to reach many more people. This statement truly sums up the past, present and future aims of the Polynesian Society and its Journal. The founding members perceived the Journal as the means by which texts and practices of indigenous Pacific peoples would be recorded and preserved. While their perception that Pacific peoples, their languages and customs would disappear has proved to be erroneous, new technology makes it possible to hand down and hand out to people throughout the Pacific today transcriptions of texts spoken and accounts of customary ways practiced by their forebears, as well as studies of more recent and contemporary social and cultural issues and practices. The June Special Issue The tardy appearance of the June issue had much to do with it being special. Producing an issue almost double the normal size and acquiring the more than 40 figures, along with the permissions to publish them, taxed both the Editor and Guest Editor. Nonetheless, the Editors apologise for the delay.