FUN FACT: Mau Piailug [1932 – July 12, 2010] in 1976 walked over again poor academia and fame seeking expeditions such as the boasts of Thor Heyerdahl, who died in 2002 never gaining any academic favor. Mau Piailug proved time and again the efficiency of traditional navigation in the Moana. Since the days of "Europe's age of knowledge", which was at least 3000 years after Polynesia's "Age of Navigation" there has been recorded times in the 19th century of Academic jealousy. Although today it's very well known of Polynesia's expansion from Southeast Asia, just 70 years ago, fame seekers were playing claims on Polynesia's History.
FUN FACT: On August 3rd, 2011 Traditionally built Polynesian Sea Vessels sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco after navigating the vast Moana Ocean using ancient Polynesian stellar navigational methods.
FUN FACT: Samoan ancient medical practices, just like many other ancient cultures, has it's uniqueness. In 2001, an Indigenous plant of Samoan Medicine was found to be the most effective fighting cure against AIDS. Also in 2001, it was agreed with AIDS Research Alliance that 20% of the AIDS cure revenue of the drug "Prostratin" would go to the people of Samoa.
FUN FACT: On July 24th in 2008, Maori went live with "Google Maori". The Maori interface with the search engine giant Google was launched at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, Rotorua.
FUN FACT: In Aotearoa, Samoan Language Week was first announced by Radio Niu FM as part of other Pacific language weeks, leading up to Māori Language Week. Since 2007, Samoan Language Week has been promoted in Aotearoan schools by the Association for the Teaching of Samoa in Aotearoa, FAGASA Inc , Faalapotopotonga mo le Aoaoina o le Gagana Samoa i Aotearoa
FUN FACT: Even though Hawaiian ships are often labeled "canoes" in description, many are not. A canoe is a very small craft and designed with an aisle of space for occupants and rowers. A canoe is also designed to cut through water as opposed to a tub boat or an early tug boat design where the front and back edges are rounded, but they are no longer canoes when a sail is added. When the sail is designed in, the vessel becomes another model of watercraft, [ A Sail Vessel, Sailboat, or Sail Ship ] which many Polynesian and Southeast Asian vessels designs have always had.
FUN FACT: Did you know Maori War Waka are the first water war vessels, specifically designed to maneuver in and out of river systems and able to with stand a sea voyage. Waka were at one point, the most advanced Naval vessel. They were the perfect infiltration vessel to use in an attack from a land river settlement to a coastal settlement, or vise versa.
FUN FACT: Southeast Asian and Asia Pacific Polynesian Catamaran's are the fastest sailboat designs in ancient times and apparently in modern times. The Catamaran which has several terms such as Vaka, Waka [even though Waka usually describe a different design in Aotearoa], and Ama, are raced in events like the iShares Cup. The movie "Water World" with Kevin Costner features a modern Catamaran, displaying it's speed and maneuverability against other slower water vessels. Videos from Extreme Catamaran Sailing can be viewed online on the popular site Youtube.
FUN FACT: Did you know that "all" Multihull Moana [Ocean] vessel designs originated in the Indo-Asian and Southeast Asian and Asia Pacific waters? Indonesia is directly next to the Asia Pacific Polynesian region, where there are many other large long voyage vessel designs. Today almost all large cargo ships are equipt with Double Hull designs after a major Exxon oil spill on the Alaskan reef. Double Hulls are engineered after the original Multihull designs, yet connected by an exterior shell. Military Navy have also caught on to the Multihull, and are now able to produce ships with even greater strategic capability.
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