An Analysis of Pacifika Liberation
Faculty Mentor
Professor Scott Finnie
Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
May 2025
End Date
May 2025
Location
PUB NCR
Primary Discipline of Presentation
Africana Studies Program
Abstract
A millennium ago, before the arrival of European explorers in the Pacific Islands, the concept of “Moana” (the ocean) connected the people of different islands together. Knowledge and trade spread between the islands through contact and migration using the traditional navigation techniques of sea faring vessels. However, when colonialism was established by European powers, people in the Pacific Islands assimilated to some European customs and ways of life. This led to a decline in traditional navigation techniques, so communities that historically shared cultures became less connected over time. The Pacific has many diverse island nations and distinct cultures characterized by similar languages and ethnic origins, such as Hawaii, Tahiti, the Marshall Islands, and Aotearoa (New Zealand). Colonization brought human trafficking, economic exploitation, stealing of traditional lands, loss of sovereignty, and forced Pacific Islanders to partially assimilate to Christianity. Pacific Islanders have interwoven their traditional (ta)tatau (tattoo), navigation, vessels, and music into today's society despite colonial influences. While it is possible to assimilate and fit in with the western culture as a Pacific Islander, it is important that we work to keep the cultural traditions alive. This synopsis focuses on three topics: the indigenous pre-colonial era which developed through migration and connections to “Moana,” the impacts of greed and exploitation by the European colonial era, and reconnection in the Neo-colonial era through the inter-weaving of cultures.
Recommended Citation
Fakasiieiki, Tevita, "An Analysis of Pacifika Liberation" (2025). 2025 Symposium. 41.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2025/ps_2025/p2_2025/41
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
An Analysis of Pacifika Liberation
PUB NCR
A millennium ago, before the arrival of European explorers in the Pacific Islands, the concept of “Moana” (the ocean) connected the people of different islands together. Knowledge and trade spread between the islands through contact and migration using the traditional navigation techniques of sea faring vessels. However, when colonialism was established by European powers, people in the Pacific Islands assimilated to some European customs and ways of life. This led to a decline in traditional navigation techniques, so communities that historically shared cultures became less connected over time. The Pacific has many diverse island nations and distinct cultures characterized by similar languages and ethnic origins, such as Hawaii, Tahiti, the Marshall Islands, and Aotearoa (New Zealand). Colonization brought human trafficking, economic exploitation, stealing of traditional lands, loss of sovereignty, and forced Pacific Islanders to partially assimilate to Christianity. Pacific Islanders have interwoven their traditional (ta)tatau (tattoo), navigation, vessels, and music into today's society despite colonial influences. While it is possible to assimilate and fit in with the western culture as a Pacific Islander, it is important that we work to keep the cultural traditions alive. This synopsis focuses on three topics: the indigenous pre-colonial era which developed through migration and connections to “Moana,” the impacts of greed and exploitation by the European colonial era, and reconnection in the Neo-colonial era through the inter-weaving of cultures.
Comments
Poster based on work in AAST 499 course.