I've always been fascinated with big information books on societies that created large stone structures such as the Rapa Nui with the moai statues and the ziggurats of Sumer. Therefore this upcoming Christmas I'm looking to treat myself with a good read that I can use to learn much about the island and its history, culture, people, and so on

Hi, my grandfather's family is from Hawaii. Growing up I didn't see much about the traditional culture, but there were always shadows of it in the background. Now that I am grown, my grandparents all passed, and I have children of my own I am trying to learn more about my cultural roots. Moreover I am looking into Hawai'ian tribal art. I can find several resources that demonstrate certain patterns, but not so much about the meanings. Does anyone know of any good resources to learn more?

Hey, you might've seen my other post that i wanted to learn niuean but i changed my mind and would like to learn tongan, because like 180x more people speak it, so i would like someone tongan who can teach me, bye

I'm a college student from Hawaii doing research on Tuvalu, please help me out and take this survey if you have 2-3 minutes. Thank you! https://qualtricsxm3mk9r4sk9.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8dYhYtspwbCzMhw

https://preview.redd.it/3k7f275u1mtd1.png?width=1728&format=png&auto=webp&s=9bd9a90e80e540f3ccd746fc658fb3c4a9650e73

Hi everyone,

Hope everyone is well.

I wanted to reach out and see if I can get any help regarding learning more about my culture/people. I’ve always felt a strong connection. I’m 26 and on a self discovery journey and this feels like a huge chunk that is missing.

My mom left me as a child so I don’t have many people to turn to regarding this.

Also, where I am located there seems to be little to none Polynesians.

I’m looking for resources, elders to talk to, or just someone to talk to to learn as much as I can. I’d like to get tattau someday but would like to know about it at a deeper level as well.

my understanding is most of my ancestors are Samoan, but there’s a bit of a mix within my Polynesian mix.

Thanks for any help, it means a lot.

Hi, I'm not Polynesian but I'm interested in anthropology.

Some time ago I read the book "Marquesan Sexual Behavior" by Suggs which describes the culture around sexuality on the Marquesan Islands. I would like to reach out to a Polynesian, especially someone from the Marquesas so I can ask questions about their opinion and criticism of the book, which in addition to the author's observations also includes several citations from colonists between the 18th-19th century.

Hi all i am wanting a tribal tattoo like this i am hawaiians & samoa wondering if this pattern is samoan.. not too good at identifying.

Canvas of Oceans explores the world’s largest celebration of Pacific culture. This film tells a story of celebration, preservation and the challenges faced by many Pacific communities grappling with the after-effects colonisation as they strive to protect their cultural identity.

Featuring: Antony Vavia, Aisea Toetu’u, Tyla Vaeau, Raki Ap, Koteka Wenda, Franceska De Oro, Solomon Booth, Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu and Jordan Souza.

https://youtu.be/McwWpwE2XLY?si=trvPp9xdrvYaDzSU

Hi there! For context, I'm a white American whose primary exposure to Polynesian and Pacific Islander culture has primarily been through media. Despite (or maybe because of) that, I genuinely want to learn more about it from a source that isn't also trying to sell me something. Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of folks I can talk to around here.

With that in mind, my introduction to the word "mana" was as the popular term for the (usually blue and luminescent) ethereal resource that lets wizards and sorcerers cast magic spells in fantasy videogames, movies, and literature. It wasn't until I was an adult doing research on my own that I learned about the word's origins and more nuanced meanings within Polynesian theology.

I've seen (usually white, mostly American) people complain about how using "mana" as a general term for "magic fuel" in fantasy media is inappropriate or appropriative, but I've never seen somebody who I knew to actually be from a Polynesian culture weigh in.

What do you think? Do you think that other cultures using "mana" as a common word for "magic power" in metafiction takes away from its value in your own culture? Do you think it's cool to see it referenced so universally? What's your opinion?

I am currently trying to start a YouTube channel on Austro-Tai studies. Polynesian studies are a part of this macrofamily and will be heavily featured, so this seems like a relevant place to reach out. I have tried doing my own narration and it is pretty exhausting and I think it would be nice to find a native speaker of one of these languages, so I was wondering if anyone was interested in taking that role. I have a low budget, so I am willing to start at $50 for 2500 words, but I am open to increasing that if I like your work and my channel continues to grow. If you are interested, let me know what languages you speak, and for an audio sample, you can read anything you want that is relevant to this subject.

Hi! I’m sorry for asking so many questions but I feel like I need answers. I’m Polynesian. 64% actually. My father was adopted from Ahé ,Tahiti when he was a baby and brought to the US. He grew up Mormon. I recently reconnected with him and im trying to learn more about our culture! We both don’t know much about it. The most info we know about my grandfather and grandmother is my grandmas name and my grandfather was a black pearl diver. I was hoping for some video recommendations, or just stories about the culture. I’ve been trying to find other polys in my area but there aren’t ANY. the us is only 0.4% poly, around only 1.4 million residents. I’m at my wits end. I’m learning Hawaiian and going to Tahiti next upcoming summer. But if anyone could point me in the direction where I can talk to someone and learn more, like a history teacher kind of, please please please recommend it. I’m proud to be who I am, and I want to learn more and practice all aspects of my culture that I can. I’m also 21 F :) thank you all we are also doing dna tests to see if we find any relatives, maybe even my grandma and grandpa

When did Polynesians lose the ability to navigate the pacific?

If the people of Micronesia/polynesia were able to navigate to such remote islands in the fairly diatant past, why or how did they lose that ability leaving isolated societies who have a core belief that evolved in such different ways? Is there any oral traditions that explain this or is it lost forever?