Cov kws tshawb fawb New Zealand tau pom tias Polynesians tuaj yeem yog thawj zaug tshawb pom lub ntiaj teb thaj av thaj chaw deb ntawm South Ncej, Antarctica thaum ntxov li xyoo pua xya. Polynesians yog ib pawg ntawm cov neeg Austronesian suav nrog Rotumans, Samoans, Tongans, Niueans, Cook Islands Māori, Tahitian Mā'ohi, Hawaiian Māoli, Marquesans thiab New Zealandic Māori. Cov kws tshawb fawb New Zealand tau txais qhov hu ua "cov ntaub ntawv grey” suav nrog cov ntaub ntawv ntawm qhov ncauj, cov duab kos duab keeb kwm hauv keeb kwm thiab tsis yog kev kawm rau kev txiav txim siab kev sib txuas ntawm cov neeg Māori thiab Antarctica.
Priscilla Wehi, tus thawj coj tshawb fawb ntawm txoj kev tshawb fawb los ntawm New Zealand tsoomfwv lub koom haum tshawb fawb Manaaki Whenua, hais rau New Zealand Herald, "Peb tsis tau pom qhov no, nws yog ib zaj dab neeg uas paub ... Peb txoj haujlwm yog los ua ke tag nrho cov ntaub ntawv [xws li kev coj noj coj ua ntawm qhov ncauj thiab cov ntawv grey] thiab sib txuas lus rau lub ntiaj teb." Txoj kev tshawb fawb coj los ntawm Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research thiab Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, kawm pib tsom mus rau Maori kev sib txuas nrog cov teb chaws nyob deb. Thawj qhov kev pom ntawm Antarctica tau tshwm sim nyob rau hauv Lavxias teb sab ntoj ke mus kawm nyob rau hauv 1820, thiab thawj tus neeg mus kov yeej lub teb chaws khov tau sau npe ua ib tug American explorer nyob rau hauv 1821.
Txawm li cas los xij, tam sim no daim ntawv tshiab tau tsim tias kev caij nkoj sab qab teb ua los ntawm Polynesian tus thawj coj Hui Te Rangiora thiab nws cov neeg coob tau tshwm sim ntau txhiab xyoo ua ntej kev mus ncig tebchaws Russia. Raws li kev tshawb fawb, nws tseem ntev ua ntej Māori tsiv mus rau New Zealand. Txawm hais tias feem ntau ntawm Polynesians keeb kwm yog raws li qhov ncauj kab lis kev cai thiab kev tshawb pom loj xws li mus txog Antarctica tau raug tshaj tawm tsis pom zoo, cov kws tshawb fawb Māori tau ua pov thawj tias nws yog qhov pov thawj ntseeg tau.
"Māori koom rau hauv Antarctic voyage tsis tshua muaj kev lees paub. Peb pom kev sib txuas ntawm Māori thiab Antarctica thiab nws cov dej tau tshwm sim txij li thaum ntxov tshaj plaws kev caij nkoj, thiab tom qab ntawd los ntawm kev koom tes hauv European-coj kev caij nkoj thiab tshawb nrhiav, kev tshawb fawb txog kev tshawb fawb, nuv ntses, thiab ntau dua rau ntau pua xyoo, " -Priscilla Wehi
Cov kws tshawb fawb tau hais hauv nqe lus, "Māori kev koom tes hauv Antarctic voyaging thiab ntoj ke mus txuas ntxiv mus txog niaj hnub no. Cov kws tshawb fawb hais tias nws yog qhov tseem ceeb tshaj qhov kev tshawb fawb tau ua los ua kom tiav cov kev paub tsis meej, thiab xyuas kom muaj kev koom nrog Māori hauv kev sib raug zoo yav tom ntej nrog Antarctica. " Tsis tas li ntawd, Wehi kuj tau sau tseg tias, "Kev loj hlob ntxiv Māori Antarctic cov kws tshawb fawb thiab koom nrog Māori kev xav yuav ntxiv qhov tob rau New Zealand cov kev tshawb fawb thiab thaum kawg kev tiv thaiv thiab kev tswj hwm ntawm Antarctica."
