Masu bincike na New Zealand sun gano cewa Polynesia na iya kasancewa farkon wanda ya fara gano nahiyoyin duniya mai nisa a Pole ta Kudu, Antarctica a farkon karni na bakwai. Polynesians yanki ne na mutanen Austronesian da suka hada da Rotumans, Samoans, Tongans, Niueans, Cook Islands Māori, Tahitian Mā'ohi, Hawaiian Māoli, Marquesans da Maori na New Zealand. Masu binciken New Zealand sun samo abin da ake kira "wallafe-wallafen launin toka” wanda ya hada da bayanan baka, zane-zane na tarihi na asali da kuma hanyoyin da ba na ilimi ba don tantance alakar da ke tsakanin mutanen Māori da Antarctica.
Priscilla Wehi, shugabar mai binciken binciken daga cibiyar bincike ta gwamnatin New Zealand Manaaki Whenua, ya fadawa jaridar New Zealand Herald, "Ba mu gano wannan ba, sanannen labari ne...Aikinmu shi ne tattara dukkan bayanai [ciki har da al'adar baka da kuma littattafan launin toka] da kuma isar da su ga duniya." Nazarin da Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research da Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu suka jagoranta, binciken ya mai da hankali sosai kan alakar Maori tare da daskararrun nahiya mai nisa. Gani na farko da aka yi rikodin gani na Antarctica ya faru ne a balaguron Rasha a cikin 1820, kuma mutumin farko da ya sami nasarar taɓa nahiyar daskararre an yi rajista a matsayin mai binciken Amurka a 1821.
Duk da haka, yanzu sabuwar takarda ta tabbatar da cewa balaguron kudu da shugaban kasar Polynesia Hui Te Rangiora da ma'aikatansa suka gudanar ya yi dubban shekaru kafin balaguron Rasha. Kamar yadda binciken ya nuna, an daɗe kafin Māori ya yi ƙaura zuwa New Zealand. Duk da cewa yawancin tarihin Polynesia ya dogara ne akan al'adar baka kuma an yi watsi da manyan binciken kamar isa Antarctica, masana kimiyyar Māori suna tabbatar da cewa tabbataccen tushe ne na shaida.
“Maori yana shiga balaguron Antarctic da wuya ba a yarda da shi ba. Mun sami alaƙa tsakanin Māori da Antarctica kuma ruwansa yana faruwa tun farkon balaguron al'ada, kuma daga baya ta hanyar shiga cikin balaguron balaguro da bincike da Turai ke jagoranta, binciken kimiyya na zamani, kamun kifi, da ƙari tsawon ƙarni," -Priscilla Wehi
Masu binciken sun ce a cikin wata sanarwa, “Haɗin gwiwar Māori a cikin balaguron balaguron Antarctic ya ci gaba har zuwa yau. Masu binciken sun ce yana da mahimmanci a kara yin bincike don cike gibin ilimi, da kuma tabbatar da shigar da Māori cikin alakar Antarctica nan gaba." Bugu da kari, Wehi ya kuma lura, "Haɓaka ƙarin masana kimiyyar Antarctic na Māori da haɗa ra'ayoyin Māori zai ƙara zurfi ga shirye-shiryen bincike na New Zealand da kuma a ƙarshe kariya da sarrafa Antarctica."
