Waka (canoe)

Waka taua (war canoes) at the Bay of Islands, 1827–1828

Waka (Māori: [ˈwaka])[1] are Māori watercraft, usually canoes ranging in size from small, unornamented canoes (waka tīwai) used for fishing and river travel to large, decorated war canoes (waka taua) up to 40 metres (130 ft) long.

The earliest remains of a canoe in New Zealand were found near the Anaweka estuary in a remote part of the Tasman District and radiocarbon-dated to about 1400.[2] The canoe was constructed in New Zealand, but was a sophisticated canoe, compatible with the style of other Polynesian voyaging canoes at that time.[3][2]

Since the 1970s, about eight large double-hulled canoes of about 20 metres have been constructed for oceanic voyaging to other parts of the Pacific. They are made of a blend of modern and traditional materials, incorporating features from ancient Melanesia, as well as Polynesia.

  1. ^ The plural is also waka. Similar craft are encountered elsewhere in Polynesia, with cognate names such as vaka, wa'a, or va'a.
  2. ^ a b Chitham, Karl; Māhina-Tuai, Kolokesa U.; Skinner, Damian Hugh, eds. (2019-01-01). Crafting Aotearoa: A Cultural History of Making in New Zealand and the wider Moana Oceania. pp. 30–31.
  3. ^ Johns, Dilys A.; Irwin, Geoffrey J.; Sung, Yun K. (2014-10-14). "An early sophisticated East Polynesian voyaging canoe discovered on New Zealand's coast". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 111 (41): 14728–14733. Bibcode:2014PNAS..11114728J. doi:10.1073/pnas.1408491111. ISSN 0027-8424. PMC 4205625. PMID 25267657.