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Pacific Islands' HISTORY
5:00 am
UTC on November 23, 2013
Okay, so I like studying and finding out about Pacific Islands' history, especially when the islands were first settled, and so I've decided to share this with you. Please NOTE that these are my findings from research, discussions with other people (esp. my Dad), and also my opinions. No information shared here is meant to cause offence to anyone. Every beautiful Pacific Island country has its own history. So I suggest that you please read thru and then leave your comments at the end... Cheers!!
2020 UPDATE ~
Okay, Pacific Islanders (indigenous people of islands/countries in the Pacific Ocean) are categorised into three (3) distinct groups ~ the Melanesians, the Micronesians, and the Polynesians. Key Difference – Polynesia vs Melanesia vs Micronesia (https://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-polynesia-melanesia-and-vs-micronesia/)
Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia refer to three distinct sub-regions of the Pacific region (Oceania) which have been divided based on their cultural significance. These three regions consist of a vast number of islands and are home to a variety of people. The key difference between the regions stems from the diversity of the people. Polynesia is home to a large number of people coming from different cultural backgrounds. In Polynesia, a number of languages are spoken as well. Comparatively, in Melanesia, the diversity and social structural grandeur is less. Micronesia, on the other hand, consists of a large number of small islands and is home to many indigenous people.
These geographical regions ~ https://www.quora.com/What-do-Polynesia-Micronesia-and-Melanesia-mean
Melanesia (from Greek, meaning "black islands") is a region extending from the western side of the eastern Pacific to the Arafura Sea, north and northeast of Australia.
Micronesia (from Greek: μικρός mikrós "small" and Greek: νῆσος nêsos "island") is a subregion of Oceania, composed of thousands of small islands in the western Pacific Ocean.
Polynesia (from the Greek words meaning "many islands") is a large grouping of over one thousand islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The term "Polynesia" was coined by Charles de Brosses in 1756, and originally applied to all the islands of the Pacific. ~
So..... Polynesians & Micronesians migrated from Asia. Some say they (Polys) could also have come from North America or even South America. It could be true, but I don't know that part. Anyways, the south-east Asian languages are similar to Pacific Island languages, but not Native American, though South-East Asians and Native Americans do look alike, and their languages may sound alike. Fijians, however, are regarded as Melanesians (migrated from Africa), but are more like half-Mela, half-Poly, coz the Fijian language is similar to Polynesian and even some Fijians have straight and oily hair. I don't know exactly where Polys and Micros originated from, but I'm sure they came through Asia. It was found out that the Indigenous people of Taiwan speak similar words to us, Islanders, which is true. a friend of mine in Indonesia shared this with me - "I know that South-east Asian people were came from southern China (Taiwan exactly). The aboriginal people of Taiwan are exactly the same as the people in Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei Darusallam, Cambodia)... The eastern part of Indonesian people are different with the people in western & central part. They're Melanesian or similar like people in Papua New Guinea". West Papuans are just Papuans of Papua New Guinea, but they come under Indonesia; they're Indonesian citizens. I wonder what's it like at the border between West & East Papua.
Fijians are believed to have come from Tanzania (formerly known as Tanganyika), Africa. (Ta(n)ga-ni-ika is Fijian for "bag for fish"). Okay, so, maybe we came with other Melas, I don't know. I do know that the first Fijian (namely, LUTUNASOBASOBA) had an Egyptian wife. I found out recently (2013) that before that man married that Egyptian woman, his ancestors came from the ancient Turkestan (somewhere in Europe). So Turkestan all the way down to Tanzania (Tanganyika), settling there, doing whatsoever over there, then up to Egypt (or maybe, Turkestan-Egypt-Tanzania), then across the Indian Ocean towards the Pacific (probably via South-East Asia).....dang, that's a long migration!!!!!
So maybe Polys (and maybe Micros) were already on Fiji's big island, then the 1st Fijians arrived, interacted, intermarried. Then maybe the Polys didn't like the Fijians anymore coz they were violent, etc. (or something like that...) So they left, and found and settled other islands in the Pacific. the Hawaiians and the Cook Islanders claim to be Maoris also, but I don't know which one of the 3 was settled first. maybe the Maoris settled NZ, then they probably split into 2 groups; one group (Kukis) travelled back north-eastwards and settled the Cook Islands and the other group travelled further up north-eastwards, found, and settled the Hawaiian islands. Maybe some Kukis found Tahiti. The Tongans & Samoan were probably one then they split, and the Samoans altered their language to differ from the Tongans. But then (maybe) later, some Tongans and Samoans found and settled Niue; intermarrying, whose offspring are the modern day Niuens.
Maybe the Micros came later from southeast Asia, intermarried with the Polys, learnt the language, altered a bit, and settled the Micronesian group of islands.
There's a group of islands north of Fiji called Rotuma. they are Polys who come under Fiji. They claim to be part-Samoan/Tongan/Tahitian. Also some of them claim to be related to the "South Sea Islanders" of Australia. the Rotuman language is what I believe to be the most complicated language in the Pacific! haha. It is like a mixed of Poly and German!
2013/12/13 UPDATE ~
Okay, recently (around the above date), a "Rotuman" told me a bit of history about the "Samoan Tattoo". I was surprised when I heard this, and this may shock/offend some of you's.....(especially if you're a Samoan). I was told that according to the Rotuman history, tattooing was originally theirs, not Samoa's. Rotumans are not accusing Samoans coz it was never stolen from them. According to the story I was told, a group of Samoans found out about Rotuma and decided to pay the tiny group of islands a visit. After their visit and upon their departure, the Rotumans gave the Samoans the tools, instructions, etc. for tattooing as a gift (as they were probably the first ever visitors). Surprisingly, apart from the hyper-activeness like Samoans when it comes to celebrations, tattooing isn't a big part of Rotuman culture! They just, well, simply, don't do it! I was told by that "Rotu-man" that it was probably done for the chiefs of Rotuma. And that's why, like the island, people, and culture, the tattooing history of Rotuma is unknown to the world, and I guess that's why the Samoans made it more popular! Bigger people need to be famous!! ~
Also someone told me Rapa Nui (Easter Island) was settled by polys who were banished from Tahiti and other countries in the Pacific... Well other islanders probably intermarried and settled other islands - Tuvalu (I believe Tuvaluans speak a bit of Samoan), Wallis & Futuna, etc... Well, that is some brainstorming of Pacific Islands history from me to you!! Hahahah!!
Sadly, the Pacific Islanders don't have any written history whatsoever. Maybe they did, but the books were lost at sea during their long-as voyages?? probably... So, if Fiji was inhabited only by Fijians then the current language came from Tonga mixed with old traditional lingos. Since Tonga is the closest to Fiji there was some trade, and probably language exchange as well. Also, the inhabiting of the eastern part of Fiji by Tongans. Fijians were known as the best boat-builders, but sucked at sailing; that's where the Polys came in, so that could be how other polys migrated around the pacific. Just a thought; they probably used Fiji-made canoes. The eastern islands of Fiji were greatly influenced by Tongan culture coz of a prince, Ma'afu, who was exiled from Tonga came to Fiji and tried to conquer Fiji to make it a Tongan colony (probably did that to win the King's favour), so the word "malo" and the "lakalaka" and the "taovala" are very common of those islands; not forgetting tapa/masi and mat designs, etc...
2014-03-26 UPDATE ~
Here's some confirmation for you about Fiji History - http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Who_are_the_indigenous_people_of_Fiji?
"...look up ethnic Fijians, they're definitely look they they are black or descended from Africa. Apparently people say, "no they're classified as Pacific Islander", but they have mostly, if not all features of African descendants. how can anyone deny African roots of indigenous Fijians? ...especially when they themselves say they came from Africa. The Indigenous Fijians are believed to be from Tanzania in Africa. Way before Fiji was discovered, the Lapita people have been inhabiting the land for centuries - these are people from South East Asia. After their distinction, "Lutunasobasoba" was believed to be from Tanzania who sailed through the Indian Ocean across to the Pacific and finally in now known as Fiji. Indigenous Fijians come in many faces, color and features. Half of native Fijians are either Polynesian Fijian whose ancestors are from Tonga while the rest of the native Fijians are Melanesians. Fiji is the only country in the South Pacific to be of both Melanesia & Polynesia." ~
Chronological History of Tanzania - http://www.fijibure.com/tang.htm
Check out some Maori history..... - http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1208808/posts
Okay, so I'm not being racist here, but I just hope that one day all Pacific Islanders in countries that are not 100% independent (Maoris, Abos, Hawaiians, French-speaking Islanders (Wallis&Futuna, Tahiti, New Caledonia), Kukis, etc... will gain their independence and learn to run their own country without the palagis ruling over them.
Please, feel free to post your comments - opinions, agreements, disagreements, etc. This is open discussion for everyone (including the "palagis") to read and share their thoughts and what they know/learnt. Offended or not, please reader(s), leave your comment(s) below.....
Cheers!!
2020 UPDATE ~
Okay, Pacific Islanders (indigenous people of islands/countries in the Pacific Ocean) are categorised into three (3) distinct groups ~ the Melanesians, the Micronesians, and the Polynesians. Key Difference – Polynesia vs Melanesia vs Micronesia (https://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-polynesia-melanesia-and-vs-micronesia/)
Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia refer to three distinct sub-regions of the Pacific region (Oceania) which have been divided based on their cultural significance. These three regions consist of a vast number of islands and are home to a variety of people. The key difference between the regions stems from the diversity of the people. Polynesia is home to a large number of people coming from different cultural backgrounds. In Polynesia, a number of languages are spoken as well. Comparatively, in Melanesia, the diversity and social structural grandeur is less. Micronesia, on the other hand, consists of a large number of small islands and is home to many indigenous people.
These geographical regions ~ https://www.quora.com/What-do-Polynesia-Micronesia-and-Melanesia-mean
Melanesia (from Greek, meaning "black islands") is a region extending from the western side of the eastern Pacific to the Arafura Sea, north and northeast of Australia.
Micronesia (from Greek: μικρός mikrós "small" and Greek: νῆσος nêsos "island") is a subregion of Oceania, composed of thousands of small islands in the western Pacific Ocean.
Polynesia (from the Greek words meaning "many islands") is a large grouping of over one thousand islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The term "Polynesia" was coined by Charles de Brosses in 1756, and originally applied to all the islands of the Pacific. ~
So..... Polynesians & Micronesians migrated from Asia. Some say they (Polys) could also have come from North America or even South America. It could be true, but I don't know that part. Anyways, the south-east Asian languages are similar to Pacific Island languages, but not Native American, though South-East Asians and Native Americans do look alike, and their languages may sound alike. Fijians, however, are regarded as Melanesians (migrated from Africa), but are more like half-Mela, half-Poly, coz the Fijian language is similar to Polynesian and even some Fijians have straight and oily hair. I don't know exactly where Polys and Micros originated from, but I'm sure they came through Asia. It was found out that the Indigenous people of Taiwan speak similar words to us, Islanders, which is true. a friend of mine in Indonesia shared this with me - "I know that South-east Asian people were came from southern China (Taiwan exactly). The aboriginal people of Taiwan are exactly the same as the people in Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei Darusallam, Cambodia)... The eastern part of Indonesian people are different with the people in western & central part. They're Melanesian or similar like people in Papua New Guinea". West Papuans are just Papuans of Papua New Guinea, but they come under Indonesia; they're Indonesian citizens. I wonder what's it like at the border between West & East Papua.
Fijians are believed to have come from Tanzania (formerly known as Tanganyika), Africa. (Ta(n)ga-ni-ika is Fijian for "bag for fish"). Okay, so, maybe we came with other Melas, I don't know. I do know that the first Fijian (namely, LUTUNASOBASOBA) had an Egyptian wife. I found out recently (2013) that before that man married that Egyptian woman, his ancestors came from the ancient Turkestan (somewhere in Europe). So Turkestan all the way down to Tanzania (Tanganyika), settling there, doing whatsoever over there, then up to Egypt (or maybe, Turkestan-Egypt-Tanzania), then across the Indian Ocean towards the Pacific (probably via South-East Asia).....dang, that's a long migration!!!!!
So maybe Polys (and maybe Micros) were already on Fiji's big island, then the 1st Fijians arrived, interacted, intermarried. Then maybe the Polys didn't like the Fijians anymore coz they were violent, etc. (or something like that...) So they left, and found and settled other islands in the Pacific. the Hawaiians and the Cook Islanders claim to be Maoris also, but I don't know which one of the 3 was settled first. maybe the Maoris settled NZ, then they probably split into 2 groups; one group (Kukis) travelled back north-eastwards and settled the Cook Islands and the other group travelled further up north-eastwards, found, and settled the Hawaiian islands. Maybe some Kukis found Tahiti. The Tongans & Samoan were probably one then they split, and the Samoans altered their language to differ from the Tongans. But then (maybe) later, some Tongans and Samoans found and settled Niue; intermarrying, whose offspring are the modern day Niuens.
Maybe the Micros came later from southeast Asia, intermarried with the Polys, learnt the language, altered a bit, and settled the Micronesian group of islands.
There's a group of islands north of Fiji called Rotuma. they are Polys who come under Fiji. They claim to be part-Samoan/Tongan/Tahitian. Also some of them claim to be related to the "South Sea Islanders" of Australia. the Rotuman language is what I believe to be the most complicated language in the Pacific! haha. It is like a mixed of Poly and German!
2013/12/13 UPDATE ~
Okay, recently (around the above date), a "Rotuman" told me a bit of history about the "Samoan Tattoo". I was surprised when I heard this, and this may shock/offend some of you's.....(especially if you're a Samoan). I was told that according to the Rotuman history, tattooing was originally theirs, not Samoa's. Rotumans are not accusing Samoans coz it was never stolen from them. According to the story I was told, a group of Samoans found out about Rotuma and decided to pay the tiny group of islands a visit. After their visit and upon their departure, the Rotumans gave the Samoans the tools, instructions, etc. for tattooing as a gift (as they were probably the first ever visitors). Surprisingly, apart from the hyper-activeness like Samoans when it comes to celebrations, tattooing isn't a big part of Rotuman culture! They just, well, simply, don't do it! I was told by that "Rotu-man" that it was probably done for the chiefs of Rotuma. And that's why, like the island, people, and culture, the tattooing history of Rotuma is unknown to the world, and I guess that's why the Samoans made it more popular! Bigger people need to be famous!! ~
Also someone told me Rapa Nui (Easter Island) was settled by polys who were banished from Tahiti and other countries in the Pacific... Well other islanders probably intermarried and settled other islands - Tuvalu (I believe Tuvaluans speak a bit of Samoan), Wallis & Futuna, etc... Well, that is some brainstorming of Pacific Islands history from me to you!! Hahahah!!
Sadly, the Pacific Islanders don't have any written history whatsoever. Maybe they did, but the books were lost at sea during their long-as voyages?? probably... So, if Fiji was inhabited only by Fijians then the current language came from Tonga mixed with old traditional lingos. Since Tonga is the closest to Fiji there was some trade, and probably language exchange as well. Also, the inhabiting of the eastern part of Fiji by Tongans. Fijians were known as the best boat-builders, but sucked at sailing; that's where the Polys came in, so that could be how other polys migrated around the pacific. Just a thought; they probably used Fiji-made canoes. The eastern islands of Fiji were greatly influenced by Tongan culture coz of a prince, Ma'afu, who was exiled from Tonga came to Fiji and tried to conquer Fiji to make it a Tongan colony (probably did that to win the King's favour), so the word "malo" and the "lakalaka" and the "taovala" are very common of those islands; not forgetting tapa/masi and mat designs, etc...
2014-03-26 UPDATE ~
Here's some confirmation for you about Fiji History - http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Who_are_the_indigenous_people_of_Fiji?
"...look up ethnic Fijians, they're definitely look they they are black or descended from Africa. Apparently people say, "no they're classified as Pacific Islander", but they have mostly, if not all features of African descendants. how can anyone deny African roots of indigenous Fijians? ...especially when they themselves say they came from Africa. The Indigenous Fijians are believed to be from Tanzania in Africa. Way before Fiji was discovered, the Lapita people have been inhabiting the land for centuries - these are people from South East Asia. After their distinction, "Lutunasobasoba" was believed to be from Tanzania who sailed through the Indian Ocean across to the Pacific and finally in now known as Fiji. Indigenous Fijians come in many faces, color and features. Half of native Fijians are either Polynesian Fijian whose ancestors are from Tonga while the rest of the native Fijians are Melanesians. Fiji is the only country in the South Pacific to be of both Melanesia & Polynesia." ~
Chronological History of Tanzania - http://www.fijibure.com/tang.htm
Check out some Maori history..... - http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1208808/posts
Okay, so I'm not being racist here, but I just hope that one day all Pacific Islanders in countries that are not 100% independent (Maoris, Abos, Hawaiians, French-speaking Islanders (Wallis&Futuna, Tahiti, New Caledonia), Kukis, etc... will gain their independence and learn to run their own country without the palagis ruling over them.
Please, feel free to post your comments - opinions, agreements, disagreements, etc. This is open discussion for everyone (including the "palagis") to read and share their thoughts and what they know/learnt. Offended or not, please reader(s), leave your comment(s) below.....
Cheers!!