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| Tahiti History and Culture |
Culture The Tahitians of the modern era have inherited a rich culture from their Maohi ancestors. Oral history recounts the adventures of gods and warriors in colorful legends where javelin throwing throwing was the sport of the gods, surf riding was favored by the kings, and strongmen competed in canoe races and stone lifting as a show of pure strength.
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Marae
The open-air sanctuaries called marae were once
the center of power in ancient Polynesia. These stone religious sites, akin to temples, hosted
the important events of the times such as the
worship of the gods, peace treaties, celebrations
of war, and the launch of voyages to colonize distant
lands.
Heiva i Tahiti
The greatest Polynesian cultural event in the world. This celebration ancient traditions and competitions has been the most important event in Tahiti for over 125 years. Visitors are encouraged to join in the celebration from late June to late July every year and discover daily and nightly events and displays. Tahitians gather in Papeete from many
islands to display their crafts and compete in traditional sporting and musical events.
Marae |
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Heiva
i Tahiti |
Tattoo
The word tatau originated in Tahiti. The legend
of Tohu, the god of tattoo, describes painting all
the oceans’ fish in colors and patterns.
In Polynesian culture, tattoos have long been considered
signs of beauty, and in earlier times were an important part of the culture in signaling adolescence.
Music
and Dance
The beauty of today’s Tahitian
dance testifies to its resilience in Polynesian culture.
In ancient times, dances were linked with
all aspects of life. One would dance to
welcome a visitor, pray, challenge
an enemy, and seduce a mate. Today's dance is still accompanied
by traditional instruments such as thunderous
drums and conch shells.
Modern Tahitian music is popular worldwide with
a sound that blends Polynesian rhythm and
Western melody.
Handcrafts
The skills of the ancestors’ artistry are
kept sacred and passed on by both the “mamas”
- guardians of tradition and matriarchs of
Tahitian society - and by the skilled craftsmen.
Items include weaving, quilting, wooden sculptures
and bowls, drums, tapa, carvings, and hand-dyed
pareu.
Tahiti Handcraft |
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Tahiti
Music and Dance |
Canoes
Aboard massive, double-hulled outrigger canoes called tipairua, Polynesians navigated the vast ocean by stars and winds and creates new civilizations in their wake. Today, the canoe continue to play an important role in everyday Tahitian life and
is honored in colorful races and festivals throughout
the islands.
Flowers
Tropical flowers seem to be everywhere on the islands,
particularly in the hair of Tahitians. The Tiare Tahiti
flower is used in leis for greeting arriving visitors
and returning family. Tradition holds that, if taken,
women and men wear a flower behind their left ear.
Tahiti Canoe |
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Tahiti
Pareu |
History
Around 4000 BC, a great migration began from Southeast
Asia across open ocean to settle the Pacific Islands.
Many researchers conclude that Tonga and Samoa were
settled around 1300 BC and from here, colonization
voyages were launched to the Marquesas Islands in
about 200 BC. Over the next several centuries, great
migrations to colonize all the Tahitian islands
and virtually the entire South Pacific took place.
This area is now called the
“Polynesian Triangle” and includes Hawaii
to the north, Easter Island to the southeast, and
New Zealand to the southwest. As a result of these
migrations, the native Hawaiians and the Maoris
of New Zealand all originate from common ancestors
and speak a similar language collectively known
as Maohi.
The era of European exploration began in the 1500s
when “ships without outriggers” began
to arrive. In 1521, Magellan spotted the atoll of
Pukapuka in what is now the Tuamotu Atolls and,
in 1595, the Spanish explorer Mendaña visited
Fatu Hiva Island in the Marquesas. More than 170
years later, Captain Samuel Wallis aboard the H.M.S.
Dolphin was the first to visit the island of
Tahiti during his journey to discover terra australis
incognita, a mythical landmass below the equator
thought to balance the northern hemisphere. Wallis
named the island of Tahiti “King George III
Island” and claimed it for England. Soon after
and unaware of Wallis’ arrival, French navigator
Louis-Antoine de Bougainville, landed on the opposite
side of Tahiti and claimed it for the King of France.
European fascination with the islands grew as news
spread of both the mutiny of Capt. William Bligh’s
crew aboard the H.M.S. Bounty and of tales
of the beauty and nature of the Tahitian
people. Knowledge of Tahiti and the South Pacific
continued to grow as Capt. James Cook brought back illustrations of Tahitian flora and
fauna and the first map of the islands of
the Pacific. In the 1800s, the arrival of whalers,
British missionaries, and French military expeditions
forever changed the way of life on Tahiti and created
a French-British rivalry for control of the islands.
The Pomare Dynasty ruled Tahiti until 1847 when
Queen Pomare finally accepted French protection
of the islands of Tahiti and Moorea.
Following the queen’s death, King
Pomare V was persuaded to cede Tahiti and most of
its dependencies to France. In 1957, all the islands
of of Tahiti were reconstituted as the overseas French territory called French Polynesia. French Polynesia is now a French Overseas Country with self-governing powers and a mission to provide for her people though commerce and investments.
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