Life
Te Rangi Hīroa (Sir Peter Henry Buck, 1877–1951) was a Māori doctor, politician and anthropologist whose books—especially Vikings of the Sunrise and The Coming of the Maori—became standard published introductions to Polynesian and Māori voyaging, material culture and social order. ORDL files him under Polynesian literature (also covering the map’s Māori node). Ceremonial knowledge remains with iwi/hapū; this page never retells restricted rites.
The system
- Polynesian voyaging and settlement as published anthropology
- Māori social and material culture in museum–university frames
- ORDL boundary: books only—no commercial ceremony
Key works
- Vikings of the Sunrise
- The Coming of the Maori
- Arts and Crafts of Hawaii (and related Bishop Museum studies)
Where to start
- Pair Buck with contemporary Māori and Pacific historians
- Treat early museum anthropology as situated knowledge
Ask Orin
A question to start with. It opens in Orin ready to edit; nothing is sent until you press Send.
How does Buck’s double role as Māori leader and museum anthropologist shape what “Polynesia” means in print?Ask Orin this question
