Anthropology Commons^™

Lalava In Tonga, Tapukitea Lolomāna‘Ia

Pacific Studies

This article explores the traditional Tongan art of lalava, an ornamental lashing technique using kafa sennit cords on royal fale hau structures. Drawing from oral traditions, interviews with practitioners like Tamale Mohenoa, and field observations, it examines lalava's architectural, cultural, and historical roles, including patterns (kupesi) encoding royal genealogies, social hierarchies, and navigation knowledge. The study highlights its evolution, exclusive practitioners from the Tamale lineage in Niutou Village, and significance in Tongan heritage amid modernization.

The Successes Of Rotuman Women In The Modern World, Alan Howard, Makereta Mua

Pacific Studies

Inspired by Ester Boserup’s 1970 thesis regarding the role of indigenous economies in promoting the success of women in the modern economies, this article explores aspects of Rotuman culture that have led to the considerable success of Rotuman women in various contemporary occupations. Our analysis is based on multiple sources implicating the socialization of women that promote a self-confidence conducive to accomplishments. This article also includes reflections by seventeen interviewees on the sources of their success

Vavanga, Vavalo, And Fakakaukau With Vā-Tā, Siosiua F.P. Lafitani

Pacific Studies

This article addresses the profound cognitive and cultural significance of vavanga (contemplation) and vavalo (contemplation), which are contempla- tive frameworks deeply rooted in the concept of vā (space) within Tongan language and culture. These frameworks serve as gateways to expansive cogni- tive exploration, stretching the boundaries of imagination and contemplation. Fakakaukau (thinking), double or dual actor (named because it bridges the realms of cognition and practicality), uses instrumental concepts such as fifili (inquisitiveness) and fekeli (meticulous exploration) to navigate the landscapes of inquiry. Throughout this exploration, a critical distinction emerges between tā as tempo and the cognitive concepts of contemplation …

Aita O Paul Gauguin I Ite I Te Parau I Te Reo Tahiti: The Colonial Implications Of Paul Gauguin’S Incorrect Tahitian, Elise Hatch

Pacific Studies

No abstract provided.

Historical And Contemporary Representation Of Kava By Members Of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints, Sione M. U. H. Funaki

Pacific Studies

In Oceania, kava, which is made from the root or stump of the kava shrub, is associated with traditional values such as sacrifice, loyalty, commitment, and chiefliness; it is especially linked with the importance of nurturing vā relationships with fonua—land and people (Kaʻili 2017: 74–75; Tomlinson 2020: 71, 74–75). Kava has also been demonized and mischaracterized since the early nineteenth century as a harmful substance detrimental to the spirit and physical body. The conflicting realities of kava as virtue and vice are expressly displayed in the relationship between kava and the Christian church. Specifically, this paper examines the dynamics between …

Cybersecurity Laws In South Pacific Nations, Siuta Laulaupea’Alu, Te Taka Keegan, Paora Mato

Pacific Studies

Cybersecurity practices and protocols should be updated in terms of human

capacity development and legislative capability to support appropriate responses

to cyberthreats within the island nations and beyond. Recommendations here

discuss awareness and prevention strategies that combat cybercrimes and

cyberattacks and offer pertinent suggestions within cybersecurity strategies

aiming to combat the rapid growth of online fraudulence and crime affecting

nations of the South Pacific. At a national level, suitable frameworks and response

models are essential to instill cybersecurity prevention and awareness. Mandatory

adoption of formal protocols and conventions by businesses and community

and government organizations would underpin regional and national …

Vol. 47 No. 1 (2024): Pacific Studies Front Matter, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies

Pacific Studies

Front Matter for the Vol. 47, No 1-Jun 2024 edition of the Pacific Studies Journal.

Autonomy And Creativity In ‘Epeli Hau‘Ofa And The Lo‘Au University Philosophy Of Education For Thinking, Siosiua F. P. Lafitani (LoʻAu VavangakitupuʻA)

Pacific Studies

The spirit of autonomy and creativity in Epeli Hau‘ofa’s writings that relate to the

philosophy of the Lo‘au University of education for thinking is explored here.

For Hau‘ofa, the spirit of free thinking aids Moanan (Pacific people) to redefine

their identity in Moana (Oceania) and worldwide. The philosophy of education

for thinking is applied here to highlight that a degree of autonomy and creativ-

ity can be planted and grown in Moana. Free thinking ought to be central to

research projects that strive for autonomy and creativity if twenty-first century

Moanan people want their intellectualism to be a permanent …

Vol. 47 No. 1 (2024): 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, Lā ‘ie, 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 teach-

ing, …

An Emergent Genealogy Of Kahuku’S Contested Red Raider Mascot, Kali Fermantez, Lisa Uperesa

Pacific Studies

No abstract provided.

Vol. 46 No. 2 (2023): Pacific Studies Front Matter, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies

Pacific Studies

Front Matter for the Vol. 46, No 2-Dec 2023 edition of the Pacific Studies Journal.

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 …

Behaviorist Ethics In A Polynesian Community: Anuta, Solomon Islands, Richard Feinberg, Gina Zavota

Pacific Studies

In this essay, we explore the ethical system of Anuta, a remote Polynesian community in the Solomon Islands. We discuss the system’s underlying premises, the way in which the elements fit together into a coherent whole, and how the system might be characterized in terms familiar to Western philosophers and social scientists. In particular, Anutans draw a connection between happiness, as expressed in overt laughter, and moral virtue. Thus, we argue, Anutan ethics can reasonably be described as “utilitarian” and “behaviorist” and, on that basis, be compared with ethical systems found in other cultural and geographic regions.

Vol. 46 No. 2 (2023): 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, Lā ‘ie, 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, …

Vol. 46 No. 1 (2023): Pacific Studies Front Matter, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies

Pacific Studies

Front Matter for the Vol. 46, No 1-Jun 2023 edition of the Pacific Studies Journal.

Talanoa Digital Storytelling As A Culturally Appropriate Method In Palliative Care Health Research: An Evaluation Of The Narratives Of Pacific Families Caring For Older Loved Ones At End Of Life, Ofa Dewes, Kylah Williams, Suamalie Naisali

Pacific Studies

Talanoa is a Pacific concept of dialogue and storytelling that was used as a framework for producing our digital stories. This article sets out an evaluation of a workshop-based process for talanoa digital storytelling (DST) where aiga (family) carers created their own short autobiographic films and injected their voices into the social and public health discourse and knowledge production. Five digital stories were created. Participants were drawn from a cohort of 33 aiga carers in a study investigating the end of life circumstances of Pacific Peoples dying in advanced age, and the experiences faced by their aiga who carry out …

From Atoll To Mainland: Aging Micronesians In The Context Of Migration, Juliana Flinn

Pacific Studies

A case study of the atoll of Pollap, part of Chuuk State in the Federated States of Micronesia, analyzes changes in the process of aging over the past forty years, in particular as a result of migration of Micronesians to Guam, Hawai‘i, and the mainland United States. Forty years ago, most elderly aged at home surrounded by family to care for them, valued for their knowledge, advice, and even some productive activities. With migration, however, many elderly now live abroad with grown children. Some migrated as young people, found jobs, acquired good English skills, and have made homes in the …

Introduction, Marama Muru-Lanning, Hilary Lapsley

Pacific Studies

This special issue of Pacific Studies focuses on well-being amongst indigenous Pacific elders. Well-being is a widely used concept, but research is lacking on how well-being is understood in Oceania. This issue involves studies on the well-being of elders from Rotuma, Papua New Guinea and Pollap, as well as Māori and Pacific peoples in Aotearoa/New Zealand.

Our collection emphasizes two pou, or posts, supporting well-being amongst Pacific elders. The first, aging in place, has a Pacific twist, where homeplaces are whenua, ancestral places of deep connection imbued with cultural and relational significance. Vā, meaning relational space, is a related concept. …

Vol. 46 No. 1 (2023): 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, Lā ‘ie, 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, …

Aging And Well-Being On Rotuma In Historical Perspective, Alan Howard, Jan Rensel

Pacific Studies

In this article, we present a historical overview of the conditions affecting the experience of aging among Rotumans on their home island. We draw on an array of cultural, social, and personal data derived from censuses, fieldwork, and archival sources covering more than one hundred years on Rotuma, which we divide into three segments for comparison: a baseline period (1903–60), the transition to modernity (1960–99), and the twenty-first century (2000–19). Among the changes that have affected the welfare of the elderly on the island are medical conditions, household size and composition, economic changes, and the proportion of older people on …

Fraught Aging And Frayed Social Networks, Laura Zimmer-Tamakoshi

Pacific Studies

This article looks at the challenges of aging in Gende society and why the Papua New Guinea government should consider a safety net for more vulnerable populations. It begins with an overview of how the Gende used their exchange system over many generations to deal with periods of extreme uncertainty and inequality. Investing in a moral economy that encouraged gender equality and expansive kin relations and obligations, the Gende weathered tribal warfare that drove them off their traditional lands long ago. Moving into sparsely populated mountains in what is now Madang Province, Gende became middlemen in trade routes connecting the …

Kaumātuatanga: Kōrero Of Māori Elders From Three Tai Tokerau Tribal Groups, Marama Muru-Lanning, Hilary Lapsley, Tia Dawes, Keri Mills

Pacific Studies

An ongoing transdisciplinary research program from James Henare Research Centre, University of Auckland/Waipapa Taumata Rau highlights kaumātua voices to investigate the well-being of Māori elders. Our kaupapa Māori research involves noho wānanga, overnight meetings with kaumātua of a particular rohe (area), and pays attention to locality and histories, as well as the direct emerging themes from conversations and interviews. This article examines participants’ understanding of kaumātuatanga, that is, what it means to be a kaumātua, or Māori elder, in three rohe in Te Tai Tokerau, the northern region of Aotearoa/New Zealand: Patuharakeke, Ngātiwai and Te Hiku o te Ika. We …

The King’S Final Journey: American Press Coverage Of King Kalākaua’S Last Visit To The United States, 1890–1891, Douglas V. Askman

Pacific Studies

King Kalākaua of Hawai‘i undertook several overseas trips during his reign. The last was to California in 1890. It was there that the king died in January 1891. This article explores American press coverage of Kalākaua’s last journey. It examines the enormous amount of attention that California newspapers paid to the king’s travels in the state with much of the reporting being extremely positive. This was similar to coverage of Kalākaua’s previous trips to the United States. Following the monarch’s death, papers across America reflected on his reign. This analysis, although not entirely complimentary, reflects the great success that Kalākaua …

Vol. 45 No. 2 (2022): Pacific Studies Front Matter, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies

Pacific Studies

Front Matter for the Vol. 45, No 2-Dec 2022 edition of the Pacific Studies Journal.

The Book Of Revelation In Nafe (Kwamera): William Watt’S Translations And Loanwords, Lamont Lindstrom

Pacific Studies

William Watt, Presbyterian missionary on Tanna (1869–1910), published a Nafe (Kwamera) language translation of the KJV New Testament in 1890. He had earlier produced Kwamera versions of the Gospels as soon as linguistic skills permitted, but the full New Testament translation was not completed until the late 1880s and printed in Glasgow during a mission leave (1889–1890). Watt worked with island pundits, and he relied on his wife Agnes’s linguistic expertise. Revelation’s allusions and obscurities presented significant difficulties of translation. I offer a close reading of Watt’s translated book of Revelation—Nari Kenamsasani (sasani means “display”)—tracking his grammatical choices, his …

Vol. 45 No. 2 (2022): 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 …

“Chinese Pacificism?” Exploring Chinese News Media Representations Of Pacific Island Countries, Shuo Luan

Pacific Studies

China has ramped up its engagement with Pacific Island countries and established itself as a major cooperative partner and assistance provider. However, the Pacific Islands remain a blind spot for many Chinese people, whose perceptions of island countries are inevitably shaped by dominant discourses at home. Although island countries are aware of China’s growing presence, they are largely uninformed about their images circulated in China. This article seeks to fill this gap by exploring Chinese news media representations of Pacific Island countries. It argues that Chinese news media paint a broad and superficial portrait of island countries because of the …

Lea Tafe/Heke, Tongan Language Drift/Shift: A Tāvāist Philosophical Critique, Tavakefai‘Ana, Sēmisi Fetokai Kulīha‘Apai Moahehengiovava‘Ulahi Potauaine, Pā‘Utu-‘O-Vava‘U-Lahi, Adrian M. Lear, Havelulahi, Ma‘Asi Taukei‘Aho, Hūfanga-He-Ako-Moe-Lotu, ‘Ōkusitino Māhina

Pacific Studies

In this original essay, we tāvāistically critique Tongan language, generally, and Tongan lea tafe/heke language drift/shift, specifically. We examine our subject matter of exploration within and across Tāvāism as a general philosophy of reality, in “time” and “space,” as both ontological and epistemological entities, identities, or tendencies. By actively, yet critically engaging in this exercise, we canvass some key aspects of the problem commonplace in both thinking and feeling. Specifically, this new undertaking will be informed by a key tāvāist tenet: all things in reality, as in nature, mind, and society, stand in fakafetongi ta‘engata eternal relations of exchange, giving …

Sentiment And Solidarities: Rooting Enewetak/Ujelang Identities In Space And Place, Laurence M. Carucci

Pacific Studies

No abstract provided.

Fishing Camps And Topiary Trees: Place, Affect, And Moral Agency In A Papua New Guinea Modernity, David Lipset

Pacific Studies

Despite being regarded as a founding father in sociology and as no less canonical in anthropology (Merton 1934; Horowitz 1982), the overall theoretical framework of Durkheim’s arguments with respect to place, affect, and agency in The Division of Labor in Society (1933) and The Elementary Forms of Religious Life (1995) are too often ignored or unwittingly reinvented (Stewart 2007; Berlant 2008). I therefore want to begin this essay with a brief outline of how I understand his main points in order to lay a theoretical groundwork for my analysis of the shifting relationship of place, affect, and agency among the …