The evidence (both linguistic and genetic) currently seems to tilt in favor of the idea that Polynesian contact did occur, as evidenced by the presence of pre-C

The evidence (both linguistic and genetic) currently seems to tilt in favor of the idea that Polynesian contact did occur, as evidenced by the presence of pre-Columbian sweet potato cultivation in Polynesia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_potato_cultivation_in_Polynesia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_potato_cultivation_in_Po... Although natural dispersal of Sweet Potato is a possible explanation, the evidence for natural dispersal is weaker than the evidence for pre-Columbian contact (for instance, the similarity of the Quechua word for sweet potato, "kumar", and the Maori "kumara").