Ofufuza ku New Zealand apeza kuti anthu a ku Polynesia ayenera kuti anali oyamba kupeza dziko lakutali ku South Pole, Antarctica koyambirira kwa zaka za zana lachisanu ndi chiwiri. Anthu aku Polynesia ndi gulu la anthu aku Austronesian kuphatikiza Rotumans, Samoa, Tongans, Niueans, Cook Islands Māori, Tahitian Mā'ohi, Hawaiian Māoli, Marquesans ndi New Zealandic Māori. Ofufuza ku New Zealand adapeza zomwe zimatchedwa "imvi mabuku” kuphatikiza zolembedwa zapakamwa, zojambulajambula zakale zakubadwa komanso malo omwe si amaphunziro kuti athe kudziwa kulumikizana pakati pa anthu aku Māori ndi Antarctica.
Priscilla Wehi, wofufuza wamkulu wa kafukufukuyu kuchokera ku bungwe lofufuza za boma la New Zealand Manaaki Whenua, adauza New Zealand Herald, “Sitinadziŵe zimenezi, ndi nkhani yodziwika bwino…Ntchito yathu inali kusonkhanitsa mfundo zonse [kuphatikizapo miyambo yapakamwa ndi mabuku aimvi] ndi kuzidziwitsa padziko lonse.” Kafukufuku wotsogozedwa ndi Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research ndi Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, kafukufuku adayang'ana kwambiri za kulumikizana kwa Maori ndi kontinenti yakutali. Kuwona koyamba kojambulidwa kwa Antarctica kunachitika paulendo waku Russia mu 1820, ndipo munthu woyamba kukhudza bwino kontinenti yachisanu adalembetsedwa ngati wofufuza waku America mu 1821.
Komabe, tsopano pepala latsopanolo latsimikizira kuti ulendo wakumwera wochitidwa ndi mfumu ya ku Polynesia Hui Te Rangiora ndi antchito ake unachitika zaka masauzande ambiri asanafike ku Russia. Malinga ndi kafukufukuyu, zidatenga nthawi yayitali kuti Māori asamukire ku New Zealand. Ngakhale kuti mbiri yambiri ya anthu a ku Polynesia imachokera pamwambo wapakamwa ndipo zopezedwa zazikulu monga kufika ku Antarctica zanenedwa kuti sizinanyalanyazidwe, asayansi a Māori akutsimikizira kuti ndi gwero lodalirika la umboni.
“Māori amene amatenga nawo mbali paulendo wa ku Antarctic savomerezedwa kawirikawiri. Tinapeza kugwirizana pakati pa Māori ndi Antarctica ndi madzi ake kwakhala kukuchitika kuyambira kalekale, ndipo pambuyo pake mwa kutengamo mbali m’maulendo apanyanja ndi kufufuza zinthu motsogozedwa ndi Azungu, kufufuza kwasayansi kwamakono, usodzi, ndi zina zambiri kwa zaka mazana ambiri.”—Priscilla Wehi.
Ofufuzawo adati m'mawu ake, "Kutenga nawo gawo kwa Māori paulendo wapanyanja ku Antarctic kukupitilirabe mpaka pano. Ofufuza akuti ndikofunikira kuti kafukufuku wambiri apangidwe kuti akwaniritse mipata ya chidziwitso, ndikuwonetsetsa kuti a Māori aphatikizidwa mu ubale wamtsogolo ndi Antarctica. " Kupitilira apo, Wehi adatinso, "Kukulitsa asayansi ambiri a Māori ku Antarctic ndikuphatikiza malingaliro a Māori kudzawonjezera kuzama pamapulogalamu ofufuza a New Zealand ndipo pamapeto pake kuteteza ndi kuyang'anira Antarctica."
