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ceremonies

kava drinking

tattooing

church

There are three main groups in the Pacific - Melanesians, Micronesians and Polynesians.

Three concepts are particularly vital to the Pacific people, tapu, mana and custom. Tapu is generally given the term forbidden or evil and every day life involves understanding what is tapu and how to avoid its strength and remove its effectiveness. Mana generally refers to spiritual power - it is a quality possessed by all people, part hereditary and part achievement. The ancient form of cannibalism in the Pacific took its concept from Mana - by eating an enemy you would absorb that persons mana or strength. Custom is a key element of traditional life. Custom evolves around the extended family and village, of sharing wealth, status and knowledge. The lack of personal property and personal space is a concept foreign to Europeans, and one that has caused many difficulties from early European exploration to modern day tourism and business.

Traditional lifestyles adhere to a strict hierarchical system headed by hereditary chiefs (ratu in Fiji, matei in Samoa, ariki in Cook Islands) and with commoners serving the good of the village. However, such is the diversity of Pacific culture that what is considered customary in one island may not be in another. What unifies all cultures today is their strong belief in Christianity which plays an important part in the village community and national politics.

The Pacific people live between the encroaching modern day world of personal property, personal achievement, all-day television and prestigious cars and from the vastly different customary life of subsistence farming, communal fishing and village meetings.

The drinking of kava (yaqona in Fiji) is still practised throughout the South Pacific (except the Cook Island). This once powerful ceremonial drink is still consumed at all important occasions but it is also drunk at social gatherings. Kava is mixed using the roots of a local pepper and diluted with water.

Other traditional customs that still exist include the traditional feast cooked in an underground oven (umu in Polynesia and lovo in Fiji), firewalking in Fiji, tattooing in Samoa and the Marquesas, stone fishing in Tahiti, the presentation of the Whales tooth (tabua) in Fiji, and land diving in Vanuatu (the inspiration of bungee jumping).

The only other tradition widely maintained by Pacific cultures is the traditional dance. From the hip-swaying erotic dances of the Polynesians to the more powerful war dances performed by Melanesians, these traditional dances are based on stories of old passed down through the generations.

more about traditional dance

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