Which way is up?

I was watching a fascinating documentary tonight on the origins of cartography, and how maps have reflected imperialism and the thirst for conquest down the ages.

One of the mapmaking techniques they focussed on was Polynesian, and they were observing that while "western" cartographers focussed on north as the dominant direction, Polynesian navigators made west their focus. The person they interviewed was saying that west makes the most sense, because everything travels to the west - the sun, the wind, the tides.

The other interesting thing he was talking about was how the original Polynesian maps didn't depend on geographical accuracy. If an island was a big deal in folklore, then it was made bigger on the map. So in order to understand the map, you needed to be part of the culture that created it.

The focal point of the maps was the canoe the navigator was in, because that was the world right there. A tiny canoe, trying to cross endless water.