ABT.30 DESIGN AREAS IF OCEANIA KEIEGER 5 



role in the life of Polynesians and of Micronesians such as the Gilbert 

 Islanders, developed through a recognition of the essential aid 

 rendered them by this bird when sailing the outrigger boat literally 

 from one end of the Pacific to the other. It is therefore not astonish- 

 ing to find the frigate bird motive among the wonderful wood carv- 

 ings of Polynesia. Notably excellent examples of this design may 

 be seen on carved wooden paddles from Hervey Island. These pad- 

 dles are completely covered with an open-work filigree carving incor- 

 porating the frigate bird motive. 



The American mainland was apparently outside the main course 

 of Polynesian travel, due, no doubt, to the lack of the flights of birds 

 coming from that course. There was nothing to prevent the dis- 

 covery, occasional landing, even the settling of the American west 

 coast by Polynesians. They were competent to make journeys of a 

 month's duration, covering greater distances than that actually lying 

 between the coast of South America and the western outpost of Poly- 

 nesia, namely, Easter Island. The outrigger boat, when equipped 

 with Micronesian navigators who knew the courses of the stars, and 

 who were provided with a crude sailing chart of bamboo sticks 

 spaced on a bamboo frame in such a manner as to plot out the course, 

 made it possible for Marshall Islanders to engage in deep sea voyag- 

 ing far from the sight of land. Landings of Polynesian crews on con- 

 tinental America doubtlessly were made from time to time, as evi- 

 denced by the many items of culture similarity in tropical America 

 and in Oceania. Similarities with Polynesia in the culture of cer- 

 tain Northwest Pacific coast Indian tribes, such as the Haida and 

 the Tlingit, who excel in plastic sculpture, in wood carving and 

 in stone working, have often been noted. One of these, infrequently 

 taken into account, is the wide extent of Pacific coast area where the 

 Indian tribes of diverse linguistic stocks possessed a knowledge of 

 woodworking and of sculpturing. As this area extends all the way 

 from central California to northern Alaska it is apparent that the 

 design area is an old one. Old Malayan influence, discussed later, 

 might offer a tentative explanation. In explaining such extensive 

 design areas as Polynesia and the Pacific coast of America it is 

 necessary to allow for elapse of great periods of time, perhaps, also, 

 completely to disregard the possibility of tribes now occupying the 

 region as having established such culture contacts as at one time 

 undoubtedly existed. 



It has been conjectured that the so-called Old Malayan or Early 

 Indonesian population elements of southeastern Asia arrived on the 

 coasts of the several Indonesian island archipelagos at an early date. 

 Motivation for this early travel may have been desire for adven- 

 ture, overpopulation, or simply desire for trade. At any rate they 



