Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Polynesian Studies Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 3 of 3

Full-Text Articles in Polynesian Studies

The Emergence Of An Ethnic Millenarian Thinking And The Development Of Nationalism In Tahiti, Bruno Saura Dec 1998

The Emergence Of An Ethnic Millenarian Thinking And The Development Of Nationalism In Tahiti, Bruno Saura

Pacific Studies

This article analyzes the emergence in Tahiti of a body of theological and philosophical works written in Tahitian by Duro Raapoto, the leading intellectual of the Protestant Church and one of the best poets of French Polynesia. They constitute a new syncretic and millennialistic rewriting of Tahitian history as well as a rereading of anthropological ideas relative to pre-European society through a reinterpretation of some essential concepts of Polynesian culture. Their author’s objective is to restore the golden age of innocence presented as “the authentic Tahitian religion” and to establish the Kingdom of God within the Tahitian people, “God’s chosen.” …


Righting Wrongs On Anuta, Richard Feinberg Sep 1998

Righting Wrongs On Anuta, Richard Feinberg

Pacific Studies

Apology and compensation are commonly employed to reestablish social harmony when one person causes injury to others, thereby disrupting social order. Here I explore the way in which these mechanisms are utilized by the people of Anuta, a Polynesian outlier in the Solomon Islands. I suggest that compensation and apology need not be counterposed and, in fact, are often intertwined as aspects of a single process. Historical transition from the widespread Polynesian emphasis on rank, respect, collective responsibility, and mutual assistance to a more individualistic and competitive cultural environment has led to changes in Anutan views of right and wrong. …


Dressing, Undressing, And Early European Contact In Australia And Tahiti, Michael Sturma Sep 1998

Dressing, Undressing, And Early European Contact In Australia And Tahiti, Michael Sturma

Pacific Studies

Dress and presentation of the body serve as important points of reference in cross-cultural transactions but are potentially confusing. Focusing on early encounters between Europeans and the indigenous peoples of Australia and Tahiti, I argue that certain tactics were commonly adopted to facilitate communication across cultures and dress codes. I have categorized these patterns of discourse as exposure, make-overs, and appropriation. While these tactics could assist in developing cross-cultural relationships, they also created their own ambiguities.