Long before Captain James Cook, great Polynesian voyagers first discovered New Zealand.
Now, after centuries of neglecting to tell the story of the great Pacific migration, Dunedin animator Ian Taylor is gifting the story to the nation.
Mr Taylor, the founder of Animation Research Ltd, has created a free tool that replicates the journey of revered navigator Tupaia.
“It’s incredible because I turn 70 next year and I’m only just learning this story now,” he said.
After studying the topic for decades, Professor Lisa Matisoo-Smith, from the University of Otago, said the topic has been ignored for too long.
“[The voyage was] incredibly complex, and that is the scientific knowledge of Pacific people, of some of those very skilled navigators,” she said.
“It hasn't been incorporated in our history books, and that's sad generally for world history, but it's particularly sad for New Zealanders.”
The tool will be used in schools around the country.
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