Polynesian navigation

Polynesian navigation is the way people from Polynesia (a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean, including Hawaii, New Zealand, and many others) used to find their way around the ocean, by looking at natural signs and using special knowledge.

To help you understand how it works, imagine you're playing a game where you have to find treasure, but the map is missing. You need to find your way by looking at different things around you. That's kind of what Polynesian navigation is like.

People who were good at Polynesian navigation had a lot of knowledge about the natural signs around them, such as stars, the sun, clouds, birds, and waves. They could tell which direction they were going and how far they had traveled by looking at these things.

For example, they knew that certain stars in the sky were only visible at certain times of the year, and by looking at these stars they could figure out where they were on the ocean. They also knew that the way waves moved could tell them which direction they were going.

But Polynesian navigation wasn't just about looking at the sky and the ocean. It also involved a lot of knowledge about the history and culture of the people who live on these islands. They knew the stories and traditions of their people, which helped them to find their way and connect with their ancestors.

Today, Polynesian navigation is still used by some people to navigate the ocean. It's an important part of their culture and heritage, and it reminds us of the amazing skills that people have developed over thousands of years to explore and understand our world.