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The real navigator of the Endeavour
The real navigator of the Endeavour
When leaving Tahiti, Captain Cook convinced Tupaia to join the crew. He trusted him to guide the Endeavour around the Pacific to find the elusive southern continent.
Following a squiggle on a chart done by Abel Tasman in 1642, the Endeavour arrived in New Zealand at dawn at Poverty Bay in what is now Gisborne.
The English thought they'd reached the "unknown southern continent", not realising this was yet another Polynesian island.
They didn't understand the local people, nor their protocols for dealing with strangers. On the first day Tupaia stayed on the ship.
A young Maori chief was shot dead by the British.
Tupaia accompanied the crew ashore the next day. He was able to understand the local Maori people, and they him.
"The East Polynesian languages are related, like the Romance languages of Western Europe. It was a tremendous boon to Cook to have someone on board who could communicate with Maori," Professor Irwin says.
Despite the improved communication there were still hostilities. More Maori were shot.
"For the local Maori, it's quite clear that Tupaia was regarded as a very important figure. Probably the dominant figure on board the Endeavour," Historian Dame Anne says.
"They thought that the Endeavour was Tupaia's ship because he was the one that could speak to them."
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-07/tupaia-star-navigator-helped-captain-james-cook-reach-australia/12092008
As a class you will work together to create a wall display of your research. You will be split into 6 groups (or more with more copies- teacher decision). You will need to work together as a group to gather information (some is on this site) and to record the info. You will need to collaborate as a full class in terms of colouring some sections, to ensure that it all fits together!
Teacher notes:
To print this you will need to download and open the image in Paint.
Select: Print -> Page Setup (Vista and 7), or File -> Page Setup (in XP)
Under Scaling, select Fit to and change the setting to 2 by 3 pages (and that it is A3 landscape)
Click OK.
Print the image from Paint, and make sure to select “All Pages”
Ask Mrs Taylor for help if you are stuck.
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