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Botanical evidence linking the New Zealand Maoris with New Caledonia and the New Hebrides

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Abstract

TRADITIONAL history of the Maoris tells of repeated voyages between Hawaiki, their mythical homeland, and Aotearoa (New Zealand), culminating in a considerable migration about AD 1350 dated by genealogies. One canoe is said to have brought seed of the karaka tree which was a useful subsidiary, food source. I report here that examination of the distribution and relationships of this tree suggests New Caledonia and/or the New Hebrides as the possible Hawaiki from which this late migration originated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Botany Department, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand

    GRETA STEVENSON

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  1. GRETA STEVENSON
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STEVENSON, G. Botanical evidence linking the New Zealand Maoris with New Caledonia and the New Hebrides. Nature 276, 704–705 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1038/276704a0

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