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An Islander is a person of the ocean who always has one foot in the water and the other on the land. The sea is like a tonic without which the Islanders cannot live happily - the sea is their life.
The sea gives them their food and their tools are their canoes.
Like their forefathers of old, the present day fishermen are skilled navigators and canoe builders who are addicted to the sea. They understand the moods of the sea; they are familiar with the stars and the sun, and they breathe inspiration from the prevailing trade winds.
They are adventurous people who, like the seabirds, have the instinct to migrate in their blood.
Their houses are a reflection of the pandanus and coconut trees from which they are constructed. The lifestyle is quite simple and in harmony with nature, living off the land and the sea.
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The islands of the Pacific, with their beauty and romance, have always gripped man's imagination. Raised above the sea, in wondrous and spectacular splendour, they shimmer like an oasis. For those of us in need of solitude and adventure, the islands also offer an escape - a place of refuge, serenity and excitement. In their greenness and freshness, the islands conjure up visions of unending youth and a heavenly paradise - sea, sand, sun, sky and wind. Of these wonderful dream-worlds, it is Oceania that offers the most beautiful, enchanting and magnificent chains of gem-clustered islands. |
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OCEANIA |
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The migration,
thousands of years later, of the ancestors of the present day Polynesian
out of Asia, brought with it languages and dialects that were essentially
Asian in origin and which developed into the present day languages of
Polynesia. Until recently, archaeologists had believed that Polynesian
people came from Taiwan. Indeed, recent studies of DNA in Taiwan
has provided some very interesting conclusions about the origins of the
Polynesian and Melanesian people.
Certainly, linguistic studies have pointed to the fact that the
Polynesians, undoubtedly the greatest seafarers in history, have their
origins in Taiwan. Of the 23 million people in Taiwan, only 400,000 are
descendants from the original inhabitants. These people originally spoke a
language belonging to the Austronesian group which is unrelated to Chinese
but includes the Polynesian tongues.
DNA studies of the original group found three mutations shared by
Taiwanese, Polynesians and Melanesians, who also speak Austronesian. These
mutations are not found in other Asians and hence suggest that the
Polynesians and Melanesians have their origins in the original inhabitants
of Taiwan. Indeed, genetic studies have now suggested that the ancestors
of the sailors of the great canoes started out further along the trail in
eastern Indonesia.
These seafarers moved eastward in small groups around the top of the Melanesian archipelago until they reached Fiji. Using Fiji as a staging area, some eventually sailed on to uninhabited Tonga and Samoa. To have developed the physical types, language and culture that the Polynesians share in common, these Polynesian forebears must have been isolated for a time in a home group of islands. A chain of archaeological discoveries leads us to believe that this isolation started in the islands of Tonga and Samoa roughly 3,000 years ago.
Beginning in 1909 in New Britain, archaeologists have found a type of pre-historic decorated pottery at various Melanesian sites. In 1947, samples were also excavated in Fiji, Melanesia's easternmost extension. Five years later the same pottery was uncovered at Lapita in New Caledonia. Now called Lapita-style pottery, these artifacts clearly trace the visits and attempted settlements of a maritime people moving along a Melanesian route towards Polynesia.
Lapita pottery was excavated in Tonga in 1963, and has recently been found in Samoa as well - both in western Polynesia. Tonga is the longest inhabited island group in Polynesia, with radiocarbon dates as early as 1140 B.C. Thus we conclude that Tonga's first settlers, the people who made Lapita ware, were the first true Polynesians. Language ties indicate that this migration continued via Samoa eastward to the Marquesas where the oldest sites in Eastern Polynesia have been found.
Far to the southeast of the Marquesas lies evidence of a truly remarkable feat - a voyage to Easter Island (Rapa Nui), some 2,400 miles away, in the face of prevailing winds and currents. Polynesia's easternmost outpost, Easter Island is not only the most isolated inhabited island in the Pacific, but it is also only 15 miles long. Assessing its chances of being discovered by early Polynesians, we can conclude only that their sailing canoes were already capable of traversing the breadth of the Pacific, and that on one such voyage, Easter Island was fortuitously sighted. Radiocarbon dating in 1955-56 indicates its discovery and settlement as early as A.D. 400.
The sites on Easter Island show clear evidence, when considered in conjunction with the archaeology and languages of the Society and Marquesas Islands, indicate strongly that the pre-historic culture of Easter Island could have evolved from a single landing of Polynesians from a Marquesan Island. These Polynesians would have been fully equipped to colonize an uninhabited volcanic island. Their success in making this windswept sixty-four square miles, without an edible native plant, not only habitable but also the seat of remarkable cultural achievements, is testimony to the genius of these Polynesian settlers.
A study of excavated adzes, fishhooks, ornaments and other artifacts indicates that Tahiti and the other Society Islands must have been settled soon after the Marquesas. Present information indicates that Hawaii and New Zealand were settled after A.D. 500. Radiocarbon techniques permit us to assign tentative dates to this entire Pacific migration: entry into West Polynesia about 1000 B.C., reaching East Polynesia about the time of Christ, completing the occupation by A.D. 1000.
Having reached the Pacific's farthest outpost, the early Polynesians possessed the skills to return. It is doubtful that one-way voyages could account for the early presence in the Hawaiian Islands, for example, of twenty odd cultivated plants of Tahiti and the Marquesas. Thus we conclude that the early Hawaiians repeatedly negotiated the longest sea route in Polynesia returning to Tahiti and then again to Hawaii, known as "Child of Tahiti".
The Polynesians in the Pacific generally occupy an area referred to as the Polynesian Triangle. The Polynesian Triangle has Hawaii in the north, New Zealand in the south, and Easter Island in the east. The lines drawn from Hawaii to New Zealand bends westward to include the Ellice Islands (Tuvalu) and passing between Fiji and Tonga. The north to south line forms the base with its apex on the path of the rising sun, located 4000 miles to the east. The Marquesas lie almost to the center of the eastern line, from Easter Island in the south to Hawaii in the north, Samoa, Tonga, Tahiti and the Cook Islands are surrounded by the triangle. New Zealand, the farthest south group of Polynesian islands is home to the Maori people.
Almost lost in the vastness of the Pacific Ocean are the tiny islands, the remarkable people and the ancient architecture of Micronesia. Across a distance of nearly 2000 miles, the archipelago of Micronesia encompasses a land area of only 271 square miles. It is believed that the original inhabitants of Micronesia came from the Philippines and Indonesia about 1500 years before Christ. The islands of Micronesia (and Polynesia) collectively comprise the last major region of the globe to be settled by humans. Both of these groups of islands were colonized within the last 5,000 years by Austronesian-speaking agriculturists. In the past, linguistic studies have been a major factor in suggesting the origins of both the Micronesian and Polynesian people who, in the main, are of medium stature with straight hair and brown skin.
Micronesia means 'small islands' and is derived from the Greek words mikros which means small and nesos which means island. This is a perfect way to describe these over two thousand tropical islands scattered across the heart of the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and the Philippines. They are spread over a great distance, yet each has its own culture, history, customs, rituals, myths and legends, lifestyle and topographical personality. The islands of Micronesia include the Federated States of Micronesia (Pohnpei, Kosrae, Chuuk and Yap), Guam, Palau, Saipan, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Republic of Kiribati.
In a DNA study
undertaken in 1994, head hair in Micronesia was used to obtain DNA
samples. The study was undertaken in order to compare the genetic
relationships of various Micronesian groups to other Pacific Islanders and
Asians and their languages. The study examined DNA that is found within
mitochondria (mtDNA), small cellular bodies that function as the energy
factories and storehouses of our cells. Mitochondria are inherited from
the body of the mother's fertilized egg, and are transmitted maternally to
the next generation. Consequently, this analysis ignores inheritance from
a father.
In general, this study found that the majority of mtDNA sequences from
Micronesian and Polynesian populations are derived from Asia, whereas
others are inferred to have originated in New Guinea. The data supported
the concept of an Island Southeast Asian origin and a colonization route
along the north coast of New Guinea. The Marianas and the main island of
Yap appear to have been independently settled directly from Island
Southeast Asia, and both have received migrants from Central-Eastern
Micronesia since then. Palau clearly demonstrates a complex prehistory
including a significant influx of lineages from New Guinea. In addition,
Chamorro mtDNA is very distinctive when compared to other Micronesians and
Polynesians. This suggests that the Marianas have a different settlement
history than the rest of Micronesia.
Thus genetic similarities among Micronesian and Polynesian populations result, in some cases, from a common origin and, in others, from extensive gene flow. As well as showing that Micronesians and Polynesians have a southeast Asian homeland, studies based on DNA contributed by both females and males to their offspring generally indicate a greater degree of Melanesian heritage for Polynesians and Micronesians.
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The first European to see the Pacific was Balboa who was later executed by his political enemies. In 1517, a Portuguese nobleman named Magellan (Magalhaes) proposed a route to the Pacific by way of America instead of the recognized course from South Africa on the path of the trade winds. On 28th November 1520, Magellan passed through the southern tip of America which is now called the Strait of Magellan and sailed into the Pacific Ocean. Magellan gave the order for the ships to turn north-east. After incredible hardship, the first land they saw was right across the Pacific at Guam in Micronesia. They went on and Magellan was killed in a battle in the Philippines. (Click here for further information about Ferdinand Magellan's Voyage Round the World) It was not until the 17th century that Dutch merchants discovered parts of Polynesia. Tasman reached New Zealand and Roggeveen landed on Easter Island.
The leaders of the early expeditions kept logs in which they recorded their impressions of those things they had seen in Oceania. These accounts are interesting in terms of the descriptions of what they actually saw, but their interpretations of native culture were not always accurate. Many of the whalers and traders who came afterwards did not fully appreciate and understand the oral literature of our people. Also, many of the missionaries who followed in their wake were hypocrites and ignorant zealots who needlessly destroyed the rich cultural heritage of Pacific Island people that they did not understand. Indeed, they were too busy substituting their own mythology to take an immediate interest in the exact details of the mythology they sought to destroy. Island people were given new standards of value in which their myths and traditions were given no commercial or spiritual recognition. The continuity of their teaching was broken.
So much of the old world created by our island ancestors has passed away. The stone temples are now in ruins and the temple drums and shell trumpets have long been silent. Tane, Rongo, Tagaloa, Nareau and other members of the divine family of the Sky-father and the Earth-mother are still with us even though so much of the regalia and symbols of our spiritualism have been scattered among museums around the world.
What the future holds may be unclear particularly when the ocean may claim many of our islands and many of our people are still under the control of others. Perhaps by reclaiming our cultural values we can understand who we are and what the future may hold for our people of Oceania.
AN OCEANIA POEM
Island life may seem on the surface to be very idyllic but, in fact, our very existence is often very precarious. So many island communities live on small coral outcrops, often only a little above sea level. These outcrops can be very easily overtaken by the sea, however, despite all this, these atolls are our home and are inhabited by people with a great love for life. We are affectionate and friendly people who love laughing.
I have also included some rare information on the amazing life of Alfred Restieaux, my dear paternal great grandfather, who was the first significant European trader on the islands of Tuvalu, and in particular Nukufetau and Funafuti, who had the foresight to document his experiences. His extensive memoirs of mid to late nineteenth century life on the islands of Oceania provide a unique insight of the life of a trader during this time. These memoirs are recorded on microfilm and are held at the New Zealand National (Alexander Turnbull) Library, Wellington, New Zealand as well as other major museums, archives and libraries in Oceania. They have provided an invaluable source of information to researchers interested in life in the South Seas during this time.
While on Nukufetau, Tuvalu, Alfred Restieaux ( later known, in mainly the Pacific Islands, as 'Resture' ) and his wife Litia (Tuvaluan) played host to Robert Louis Stevenson and his wife while they were en route from Auckland, New Zealand to Kiribati. The complete life of Alfred Restieaux, including his English background as well as his noble French background, along with his years in early colonial Australia, New Zealand, South America, North America, Honolulu, and the islands of Oceania, is shortly to be published. There are also Links to the Alfred Restieaux manuscripts along with a short history of Alfred Restieaux's life (below):
Tropical Sounds,
Pacific Islands Radio Tropical Sounds,
Radio Melanesia
Tropical Sounds,
Micronesia Music Radio
Pacific Music Radio is also
broadcasting in mp3PRO StereoWelcome everybody to our Pacific Islands Radio Stations for your free listening to our Pacific Island music 24 hours daily! Wherever you may be, please make yourself feel at home, sit back, relax, and enjoy listening to the soothing, melodious, beautiful and exciting sounds of the Pacific. Music fulfills a need to communicate. It gives expression to thoughts, ideas, beliefs and moods. It connects us with our past and in doing so it arouses feelings of joy, sorrow, excitement and serenity. Music is a language that reminds us of memorable moments in our lives. Let us hope that we all experience these wonderful things and much more in our Pacific Island music.
The music played on Pacific Islands Radio has authentic examples of both the contemporary and traditional forms of indigenous Oceania music such as that of the Australian Aboriginal people along with Pacific Island music from the low atolls like Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Tokelau and Tuvalu to the volcanic peaks of islands like Samoa, Tahiti and Hawai'i as well as the mountain ranges of New Zealand, Cook Islands, Easter Island, Papua New Guinea, Papua (Irian Jaya), the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and Fiji as well as Tonga, the Federated States of Micronesia (Pohnpei, Kosrae, Chuuk and Yap), Guam, Saipan and Palau. More music from the Caroline Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the Republic of Nauru will be added to the Playlists as soon as it is available.
The music featured on Pacific Islands Radio 32 kbps (FM mp3PRO Stereo), 33K (24 kbps) and Radio Melanesia 28K (16 kbps) as well as Micronesia Music Radio 33K (24 kbps) comprises traditional chants of our ancestors and mythology, gospel music, as well as the day-to-day music, including songs about the beauty of the sunrise, the sunset, the people and the islands, not to mention the uniquely beautiful love songs with their haunting lyrics and melodies.
Music is an integral part of life on the islands of the Pacific. Indeed, the songs and dances are woven into the very fabric of everyday life. Life, love, work, play, the ocean, the gods, the earth itself; they all flow through the music of the Pacific Islands, as surely as the sand erodes into the sea. Pacific Island music is truly the music of the world and is proudly featured on our four Pacific Islands Radio stations!
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But as years go
by
For what is
happening to the beautiful isles we know?
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