Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Pacific Islands Languages and Societies Commons™
Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Discipline
-
- Anthropology (39)
- History (39)
- Social and Behavioral Sciences (39)
- Race, Ethnicity and Post-Colonial Studies (36)
- Indigenous Studies (35)
-
- Creative Writing (5)
- Social and Cultural Anthropology (5)
- Sociology (5)
- Poetry (3)
- Film and Media Studies (2)
- Micronesian Studies (2)
- Performance Studies (2)
- Political Science (2)
- Theatre and Performance Studies (2)
- American Literature (1)
- American Studies (1)
- Comparative Literature (1)
- English Language and Literature (1)
- Fiction (1)
- Hawaiian Studies (1)
- Polynesian Studies (1)
- Publication Year
- Publication
- Publication Type
Articles 1 - 30 of 40
Full-Text Articles in Pacific Islands Languages and Societies
Performing Tongan Identity And Indigeneity In Global Sporting Events, ‘Inoke Hafoka, Arcia Tecun, Tēvita O. Ka‘Ili, S. Ata Siu‘Ulua
Performing Tongan Identity And Indigeneity In Global Sporting Events, ‘Inoke Hafoka, Arcia Tecun, Tēvita O. Ka‘Ili, S. Ata Siu‘Ulua
Pacific Studies
During the 2017 Rugby League World Cup, Tonga’s national team made it into the semifinals, unleashing a powerful spirit of Tongan identity across the globe. Drawing from the borderlands concept and the Tongan tāvā theory, we analyze intersecting tensions of identity and colliding contexts during the tournament. Tonga’s team (mostly composed of players who chose Tonga rather than playing for the nation-states of their birth) revealed the limits of national identities while reinforcing them. Indigenous performances of sipi tau (war challenge/posture dance) and ancestral memories of kasivaki (ancient Tongan sport), cultivated feelings of māfana (exhilaration …
Sentiment And Solidarities: Rooting Enewetak/Ujelang Identities In Space And Place, Laurence M. Carucci
Sentiment And Solidarities: Rooting Enewetak/Ujelang Identities In Space And Place, Laurence M. Carucci
Pacific Studies
No abstract provided.
Redefining Gendered Spaces: The Case Of The Indofijian Female Qawwal, Vicky V. Shandil
Redefining Gendered Spaces: The Case Of The Indofijian Female Qawwal, Vicky V. Shandil
Pacific Studies
Qawwali, an IndoFijian musical performance, links directly to first generation Indian indentured laborers brought to Fiji by British colonizers between 1874 and 1916. The form of qawwali considered in this paper is performed as a challenge between two vocalists both assisted by musical ensembles, respectively. Firstly, this paper describes IndoFijian qawwali and its connections to South Asia and then pays attention to IndoFijian identity because the female qawwal’s ethnic identity precedes her performance-based identity. Through Qawwali female performers created a new public identity, that of a female qawwal. This transpired through the inclusion of females on a stage traditionally exclusive …
Mai Te Kopu O Te Wahine: Considering Maori Women And Power, Ngahuia Te Awekotuku
Mai Te Kopu O Te Wahine: Considering Maori Women And Power, Ngahuia Te Awekotuku
Pacific Studies
Moko kauae: female Maori facial tattoo. This is the subtle power of maintaining a femininity that offends, that endures, that persists in the face of the settlers’ and invaders’ descendants; threatens sensibility and comfort levels; and continues to fascinate and challenge, charm and repel. Whether or not they were aware doing this, the elderly women who continued to inscribe their faces into the final decades of the past century and wear their identity and heritage with pride, were effectively confronting the colonizer and saying, we are here, and we will never ever go away. My face may make you uncomfortable, …
Self · Ish: Examining And Reshaping Filipino & Filipinx Identities Within The Continental United States And Hawai’I Via Post-Colonial Literature, Kiana Anderson
Self · Ish: Examining And Reshaping Filipino & Filipinx Identities Within The Continental United States And Hawai’I Via Post-Colonial Literature, Kiana Anderson
Senior Theses
This thesis explores a conversation between the “self” and Filipino culture to examine the ways the Filipino diaspora exists in literature amongst colonization and trauma. Through literary texts spanning across time and geographical locations, like Elaine Castillo’s America Is Not the Heart and Jessica Hagedorn's Dogeaters, I interrogate the cultural and psychic meanings associated with the concept of home within the context of these hybrid histories. By examining the neo-canonical literature of some of these authors, I interrogate their sense of self, voices and visions via the languages, symbols, cultural frameworks and emotions that are prevalent within the literary …
Names As A Means Of Inclusion And Transformation: Naming And Transcultural Kinship Among The Wampar, Papua New Guinea, Doris Bacalzo
Names As A Means Of Inclusion And Transformation: Naming And Transcultural Kinship Among The Wampar, Papua New Guinea, Doris Bacalzo
Pacific Studies
This study examines how naming practices function as strategic tools for identity negotiation and social positioning among children of interethnic marriages in Dzifasing, a Wampar village in Papua New Guinea. Through analysis of transcultural kinship networks, the research investigates how names serve as resources in negotiating belonging, rights, and identities within an increasingly multiethnic environment.
Vol. 39 No. 1/2 (2016): Pacific Studies Front Matter, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies
Vol. 39 No. 1/2 (2016): Pacific Studies Front Matter, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies
Pacific Studies
Front Matter for the Vol. 39, No 1/2-Apr/Aug 2016 edition of the Pacific Studies Journal.
Naming Relationship And Constructing Hierarchy: Names, Value, And Hierarchy Among The Austronesian Paiwan, Taiwan, Kun-Hui Ku
Pacific Studies
This paper explores the relationship between naming practices and social hierarchy among the Paiwan people of Piuma. It argues that names and the act of naming are central to the reproduction and negotiation of hierarchical relationships, functioning alongside heirlooms and other valuables. The study demonstrates how names serve as dynamic symbols of identity, rank, and political alliance. It underscores the importance of symbolic capital in shaping long-term social and historical trajectories within Paiwan society.
Naming In Kanak Groups: Names, Relations, And Personal Identity Among The Paicî Kanak (Ponerihouen, New Caledonia), Isabelle Leblic
Naming In Kanak Groups: Names, Relations, And Personal Identity Among The Paicî Kanak (Ponerihouen, New Caledonia), Isabelle Leblic
Pacific Studies
This study examines naming practices, particularly in Kanak groups. Understanding naming systems is important to understanding personal identity, social relations, and local history within a community.
Naming And Name Changing In Postcolonial Madagascar, Denis Regnier
Naming And Name Changing In Postcolonial Madagascar, Denis Regnier
Pacific Studies
This paper examines the cultural significance of name changing among the Betsileo of Madagascar, highlighting its dual role in shaping individual identity and reinforcing collective continuity. This practice fosters a dynamic interplay between memory and legacy, as names circulate between honoring ancestors and acknowledging descendants. Despite the fluidity of personal names over time, the group maintains a visible sense of continuity through this ritualized naming system. The study argues that name changing is a vital mechanism for the ongoing construction of personhood and the temporal cohesion of the descent group.
Vol. 39 No. 1/2 (2016): Pacific Studies Full Issue, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies
Vol. 39 No. 1/2 (2016): Pacific Studies Full Issue, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies
Pacific Studies
Pacific Studies is published two times a year by The Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Studies, Brigham Young University Hawai‘i #1979, 55–220 Kulanui Street, Lāʻie, Hawai‘i 96762, but responsibility for opinions expressed in the articles rests with the authors alone. Subscription rate is US$40.00 yearly, payable to The Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Studies. The Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Studies (formerly The Pacific Institute) is an organization funded by Brigham Young University Hawai‘i. The Center assists the University in meeting its cultural and educational goals by undertaking a program of teaching, research, and …
From Romance To Reality: Images Of Pacific Islanders Across Time And Space, Nancy Lutkehaus, Judith Schachter
From Romance To Reality: Images Of Pacific Islanders Across Time And Space, Nancy Lutkehaus, Judith Schachter
Pacific Studies
This article examines the enduring legacy and evolving dynamics of Western representations of the Pacific and its peoples, from early European voyages to contemporary media. This issue marks a shift in disciplinary focus, with anthropologists contributing to a field previously dominated by literary and cultural historians. Through analyses of visual culture, media, and transoceanic connections, the collection interrogates the commodification of culture and the hegemonic influence of Western narratives, while also illuminating the creative and critical responses of Pacific communities navigating these representations in a globalized world.
Representations Of Pacific Islander Identity: Ours And Theirs, Kirsten Mcgavin
Representations Of Pacific Islander Identity: Ours And Theirs, Kirsten Mcgavin
Pacific Studies
This article explores how Pacific Islander identities—particularly within diasporic communities in Australia—are shaped through the interplay between stereotypical media portrayals and lived cultural realities. While Western tourism and media have long perpetuated romanticized images of Pacific “paradise,” these depictions often obscure the diversity and complexity of actual Island life. Through case studies—including climate change rallies, community gatherings, and online forums—the article examines how Islanders respond to, resist, and sometimes repurpose outsider stereotypes to articulate self-representations that are both grounded and adaptive. The study highlights the dynamic processes of identity formation in the Pacific diaspora and the ongoing negotiation between authenticity …
Vol. 38 No. 1/2 (2015): Pacific Studies Full Issue, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies
Vol. 38 No. 1/2 (2015): Pacific Studies Full Issue, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies
Pacific Studies
Pacific Studies is published two times a year by The Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Studies, Brigham Young University Hawai‘i #1979, 55–220 Kulanui Street, Lāʻie, Hawai‘i 96762, but responsibility for opinions expressed in the articles rests with the authors alone. Subscription rate is US$40.00 yearly, payable to The Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Studies. The Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Studies (formerly The Pacific Institute) is an organization funded by Brigham Young University Hawai‘i. The Center assists the University in meeting its cultural and educational goals by undertaking a program of teaching, research, and …
Vol. 38 No. 1/2 (2015): Pacific Studies Front Matter, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies
Vol. 38 No. 1/2 (2015): Pacific Studies Front Matter, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies
Pacific Studies
Front Matter for the Vol. 38, No 1/2-Aug 2015 edition of the Pacific Studies Journal.
Pedagogical Promise, Disciplinary Practice, And The Fashioning Of Identities Among Marshallese Youth In Primary School, Laurence Marshall Carucci
Pedagogical Promise, Disciplinary Practice, And The Fashioning Of Identities Among Marshallese Youth In Primary School, Laurence Marshall Carucci
Pacific Studies
This paper examines the educational experiences of elementary grade students from the Ujelang/Enewetak community across two distinct periods and locations: those residing on Ujelang Atoll in the 1970s and those living in Hawai‘i in 2002–2003. These children belong to a community that has endured profound historical trauma and rapid social transformation, while maintaining a strong commitment to preserving its cultural and historical identity. The study situates the community within the broader context of colonial and postcolonial displacement, highlighting the devastating impact of World War II and U.S. nuclear testing on Enewetak. It explores how these historical events have shaped migration …
Vol. 35 No. 1/2 (2012): Pacific Studies Front Matter, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies Brigham Young University–HawaiʻI
Vol. 35 No. 1/2 (2012): Pacific Studies Front Matter, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies Brigham Young University–HawaiʻI
Pacific Studies
Front Matter for the Vol. 35, No 1/2-April-August, 2012 edition of the Pacific Studies Journal.
Vol. 35 No. 1/2 (2012): Pacific Studies Full Issue, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies Brigham Young University–HawaiʻI
Vol. 35 No. 1/2 (2012): Pacific Studies Full Issue, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies Brigham Young University–HawaiʻI
Pacific Studies
Pacific Studies is published two times a year by The Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Studies, Brigham Young University Hawai‘i #1979, 55–220 Kulanui Street, Lāʻie, Hawai‘i 96762, but responsibility for opinions expressed in the articles rests with the authors alone. Subscription rate is US$26.00 yearly, payable to The Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Studies. The Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Studies (formerly The Pacific Institute) is an organization funded by Brigham Young University Hawai‘i. The Center assists the University in meeting its cultural and educational goals by undertaking a program of teaching, research, and …
The Interweaving Of People, Time, And Place—Whakapapa As Context And Method, Lily George, Te Kapotai/Ngaapuhi/Paakehaa
The Interweaving Of People, Time, And Place—Whakapapa As Context And Method, Lily George, Te Kapotai/Ngaapuhi/Paakehaa
Pacific Studies
Set along the Waikare River in Aotearoa, this autoethnographic reflection explores the cultural, genealogical, and epistemological significance of whakapapa in Maori knowledge systems. As an indigenous Maori anthropologist, the author emphasizes that whakapapa not only traces genealogical lineage but also serves as a foundational framework for understanding phenomena, conducting research, and navigating identity within indigenous anthropology. By drawing from traditional cosmology and intergenerational knowledge—including divine origin stories and spiritual relationships with landscape—this introduction positions whakapapa as both method and context in the pursuit of knowledge and cultural survival.
Omengeredakl: Aesthetics Of Sound And Vocal Music In Palau, Birgit Abels
Omengeredakl: Aesthetics Of Sound And Vocal Music In Palau, Birgit Abels
Pacific Studies
Omengeredakl are group chants sung on the islands of Palau, West Micronesia. They stand out from the rest of the repertoire of Palauan vocal music because of certain musical features nor found in other extant Palauan songs. The distinctly Palauan sound of this song type, and how this "audible locality" is manifested in song, has at times been used extensively in the localization of Self, and at times less so. The article argues that this has led to changes in the popularity of omengeredakl over the course of the last century.
Speaking Reflections: Whaikoorero (Speech Making) And Karanga (Welcoming Cry) In Recent Theatre By Maaori Women, Mei-Lin Te-Puea Hansen
Speaking Reflections: Whaikoorero (Speech Making) And Karanga (Welcoming Cry) In Recent Theatre By Maaori Women, Mei-Lin Te-Puea Hansen
Pacific Studies
This essay suggests that contemporary Maaori/bicultural theatre is becoming a potent site for the articulation of Maaori women’s aspirations and concerns. Drawing on Maaori women’s biographical koorero from four plays performed between 1986 and 1997, the essay presents a kind of “vocal kaleidoscope.” This vocal kaleidoscope reflects the complexities of balancing a contemporary existence with a traditional past. Rena Owen’s Te Awa I Tahuti, Riwia Brown’s Roimata, Renee’s Jeannie Once, and Briar Grace-Smith’s Ngaa Pou Waahine render audible gender and cultural identity issues pertinent to Maaori women. Pieced together, the reflective voices of these waahine koorero help locate points of …
Silauni‘I, Jacinta Galea‘I
Silauni‘I, Jacinta Galea‘I
Pacific Studies
This poignant story follows the narrator’s friendship with Silauni‘i, the daughter of a village minister in Samoa. Silauni‘i is quiet, unconventional, and full of subtle resilience—her zig-zag pigtails, uncombed hair, and luminous smile defy rigid expectations placed on minister’s children. Together, the girls navigate school, village gossip, and the burdens of being “examples” in their community. As they study Samoan grammar at A‘oga Samoa, the story builds to a heartbreaking moment when Silauni‘i is publicly beaten after failing a quiz, a punishment that reflects the weight of expectations and the cruelty of discipline cloaked in righteousness. Through intimate details and …
Blood And Reproduction Of (The) Race In The Name Of Ho‘Oulu Lāhui—A Hawaiian Feminist Critique, J. Kehaulani Kauanui
Blood And Reproduction Of (The) Race In The Name Of Ho‘Oulu Lāhui—A Hawaiian Feminist Critique, J. Kehaulani Kauanui
Pacific Studies
This essay interrogates the colonial legacy and contemporary consequences of blood quantum laws in defining Native Hawaiian identity, focusing on the exclusionary impact of the 1921 Hawaiian Homes Commission Act’s 50% rule. Through personal reflection and political critique, it examines how these policies fragment genealogical connection, displace indigenous knowledge systems, and fuel internalized anxieties about authenticity and extinction. Drawing on statements by sovereignty leaders Mililani Trask and Lynette Cruz, the essay explores how nationalist calls to ho‘oulu lāhui (reproduce the nation) place disproportionate reproductive burdens on Hawaiian women, often framed within heteronormative, racialized, and even eugenicist logics. While Trask emphasizes …
Village Princess, Tusiata Avia
Village Princess, Tusiata Avia
Pacific Studies
This poem reflects on the tension between traditional cultural roles and personal freedom, using the figure of a taupou—an honored ceremonial title in Samoan culture—as a lens. The speaker contrasts their sister’s symbolic beauty and status with her eventual rejection of expectations, choosing instead a life of independence and reinvention in America. The shift from reverence to silence around titles suggests a broader commentary on changing values and the cost of self-determination.
Dialoguing Across The Pacific: Kūkā Kūkā And The Cultivation Of Wahine Maoli Identities, Noelani Goodyear-Ka'opua, Lana Sue Ka‘O ̄Pua
Dialoguing Across The Pacific: Kūkā Kūkā And The Cultivation Of Wahine Maoli Identities, Noelani Goodyear-Ka'opua, Lana Sue Ka‘O ̄Pua
Pacific Studies
Hilihewa ka mana‘o ke‘ole ke kūkākūkā. As thoughts can become miswoven when there is no discussion, so it is with our identities as Wahine Maoli, Native Hawaiian women, and the ensuing choices we make about how to live in this world. Other recent collaborative articles by Kānaka Maoli have used kūkākūkā to refer to face-to-face “talk-story” sessions. This kūkākūkā is different, as one of us is living in Hawai‘i and the other in California. We used e-mail and telephone conversations to enable kūkākūkā spanning distances of time and space. As we communicate across generations and across our ocean home, we …
Maori Women Researching Ourselves, Ngahuia Te Awekotuku
Maori Women Researching Ourselves, Ngahuia Te Awekotuku
Pacific Studies
This essay, based on a keynote address titled "Maori Women and Research: Researching Ourselves," explores the significance of Maori women conducting research on their own identities, experiences, and communities. Challenging the dominance of non-Maori scholarship, the author advocates for self-representation and sovereignty in knowledge production. Drawing from intergenerational dialogue, collective reflection, and lived realities, the essay unpacks questions of gender, cultural protocol, positionality, and access within Maori society. It highlights the layered complexities faced by Maori women researchers—navigating traditional expectations, community dynamics, and academic gatekeeping—while affirming the transformative power of research as a tool for empowerment, reclamation, and cultural continuity.
Niudity (I-Iv), Teresia Teaiwa
Niudity (I-Iv), Teresia Teaiwa
Pacific Studies
The "Niudity" poem sequence by Teresia Teaiwa explores the layered metaphor of the coconut (niu) to reflect on identity, vulnerability, and postcolonial femininity in Oceania. The poems interweave bodily imagery with cultural symbolism—where the coconut’s husk, shell, and flesh represent stages of exposure, resilience, and inner worth. In playful yet poignant verse, Teaiwa deconstructs the idea of nudity into niudity—a state shaped not just by nakedness, but by misrecognition, resistance, and cultural disguise. Her fictional dictionary entries parody colonial linguistic authority while empowering indigenous reinterpretation. The final poem subverts expectations with sharp commentary on exploitation, voice, and …
Communicating Tradition In Samoan American Art: An Artist’S Reflection, Jewel Castro
Communicating Tradition In Samoan American Art: An Artist’S Reflection, Jewel Castro
Pacific Studies
This reflective essay explores the profound influence of Samoan tradition—particularly the sasa dance—on the author's identity and artistic practice. Through vivid childhood memories of her great-aunties' powerful and spiritually charged performances, the writer illustrates how traditional movement becomes a portal to ancestral connection and cultural affirmation. As a Samoan American artist, she uses these embodied experiences as inspiration for her installation-based storytelling environments, blending painting, sculpture, sound, scent, and space to express tradition as a living, multisensory force. Grounded in both memory and innovation, the essay positions tradition as a universal, transformative language that transcends cultural barriers and invites shared …
2nd Stanza, "Samoa," From Meet You In Hawaiki, Rosanna Raymond
2nd Stanza, "Samoa," From Meet You In Hawaiki, Rosanna Raymond
Pacific Studies
An image of a woman with a poem.
Vol. 23 No. 1/2 (2000): Pacific Studies Front Matter, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies
Vol. 23 No. 1/2 (2000): Pacific Studies Front Matter, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies
Pacific Studies
Front Matter for the Vol. 23, No 1/2-Mar./Jun. 2000 edition of the Pacific Studies Journal.