Polynesian Communities Research Articles

Family first: The role of family in Māori and Pasifika professional athlete success

Throughout the Pacific, the whānau/’āiga (family) is an integral element of community and identity. Within Polynesian communities, it is common for the whānau (family – Māori) or ‘aiga (family – Samoan) to be the most important aspect of one's existence. For many Polynesian (Māori and Pacific) athletes, the family unit is central to their ability to succeed in professional sport. The cultural identity that is developed within the family unit as well as the support and nurturing provided are ingredients for Polynesian athletes to thrive in spaces where they may not otherwise: gaining collective support in ways that are not always readily afforded to Western society. This paper draws from the stories of male professional Māori and Pasifika rugby league athletes to provide deeper insight into the critical role of Polynesian families in professional sport. As Polynesian sport academics, who were given deep insight from these athletes, we use our insider lens to tell this story.

Cultural Change, Community, and Belonging: Supporting the Next Generation of Surgeons From Groups Historically Excluded From Medicine.

Cultural Change, Community, and Belonging: Supporting the Next Generation of Surgeons From Groups Historically Excluded From Medicine.

Faifai mālie – Balancing ourselves in our journey with Pasifika communities in person-centered and experiential psychotherapy and counselling

ABSTRACT Pasifika communities in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) are a vibrant, diverse and heterogenous population. Following their migration to Aotearoa NZ they experienced the challenges of western world concepts, ideologies and frameworks being imposed on their worldview(s), a process that has led to social and economic disparities alongside health inequities which include mental distress and ill-health. This article explores whether there is a place for person-centered experiential psychotherapy and counseling within a worldview of Pasifika people in Aotearoa NZ. This will also have relevance to Polynesian, indigenous and ethnic minority communities at a global level. Drawing on Pasifika methodologies, and specifically a Tongan one, this article explores a Pasifika person-centered approach that is informed by Pasifika values and practice. It concludes with recommendations for the field of person-centered experiential psychotherapy and counseling when working with Pasifika communities.

Erasing the Empire through the Restitution of Military Land: Military Bases and Processes of Re-appropriation in French Polynesia

Following several years of tense worldwide protests against nuclear testing, the French campaign in the Pacific ended in 1996. In the years that followed, military facilities in French Polynesia, at least those most strictly connected with nuclear activities, shut down. After the exploitation and detonation of the atolls Moruroa and Fangataufa (and symbolically of the Polynesian minds and bodies), land is finally being given back to French Polynesians. Military bases are closing and military personnel are returning to France. Some of these building complexes are now property of local towns. The questions raised in this article revolve around the symbolic power of military bases’ dismantlement, which can be interpreted as the erasure of the French empire. What do such erasures of military facilities represent? Is it just an economic reorganization of the national defense or does it represent the will to materially erase colonial and nuclear history? Moreover, I argue that these ongoing processes can be analyzed as a form of re-appropriation of land by the Polynesian communities and a new form of sovereignty.

Exploring Intimate Partner Violence in Polynesia: A Scoping Review

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a major, global public health concern with significant impacts, particularly for women, worldwide. There is an immediate need to develop comprehensive understandings of the complex drivers of this multifaceted issue in diverse cultural and social contexts. This scoping review used a systematic approach to gather a broad scope of peer-reviewed, publisher-controlled, and gray literature investigating IPV in Polynesia, a region of the Pacific experiencing high rates of IPV. A total of 181 articles were identified through a comprehensive search that included five cross-disciplinary databases; government, intergovernmental, and nongovernment websites; and consultation with community organizations. Thirty-three articles met the inclusion criteria related to IPV in a Polynesian country or community abroad and were included in this review. Narrative synthesis, which included summarizing and sorting key findings into common themes, was conducted to provide an overview of what is currently known about IPV in Polynesia and Polynesian communities living aboard. Key themes, which arose from the data analysis included: high prevalence of IPV, attitudes supporting IPV, urbanization and migration, traditional protective factors, and formal leadership and laws. The paucity of rigorous literature highlights an immediate need for IPV prevention research and intervention within Polynesian communities. This review includes a discussion of the limitations of this small body of literature and makes recommendations for future research, policy, and program development to include intersectionality in order to deepen understandings and enhance inclusive and meaningful intervention and policy implementation.

Lifestyle Interventions for People with, and at Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in Polynesian Communities: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

There is evidence that lifestyle intervention among Polynesian people can reduce diabetes incidence and complications, but this evidence has not been systematically reviewed. The aim of this study was to systematically review the efficacy of lifestyle interventions, targeting the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes among Polynesian people. MEDLINE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Embase were searched to find randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and pre-post studies. Eight studies (four RCTs and four pre-post studies) with 1590 participants met the inclusion criteria. The data on health outcomes that was reported in these studies included blood pressure, body mass index, waist circumference, weight, and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c). The meta-analyses showed that the interventions had resulted in statistically significant reductions in systolic blood pressure (SBP) across four of the studies (WMD, −9.93 mmHg; 95% Cl, −10.77 to −9.09; and p < 0.00001). However, the effects on weight across five of the studies (WMD, −1.15 kg; 95% Cl, −2.80 to 0.51; p = 0.18) and the HbA1c levels across two of the studies (WMD, −0.38%; 95% Cl, −1.15 to 0.39; and p = 0.33) were not statistically significant. This review provides evidence that lifestyle interventions may be effective in achieving modest reductions in SBP in Polynesian people. Further research is needed to fully assess the effectiveness of these interventions in this population long-term.

Origin, Genetic Diversity, and Population History of a Marine Population (Chanidae:Chanos chanos) in an Enclosed Lagoon in French Polynesia

Geomorphological features of atolls in the Tuamotu archipelago (French Polynesia) created during glaciation periods of the Pleistocene enable unique studies of evolution. Atolls not far from one another may be classic open atolls with water exchange between the ocean and the lagoon, or they may have an enclosed lagoon, without a direct ocean connection since at least the last glaciation (20,000 yr ago). Niau's atoll has an enclosed lagoon that hosts a milkfish (Chanos chanos) population whose origin is enigmatic. The milkfish's co-occurrence with a tilapia species suggests a human introduction. However, there is no such record, and the people of Niau consider the milkfish population origin to be natural. The fish is used as staple food, and it also plays a major role in several of their cultural traditions. We compared genetic diversity and population history of the Niau milkfish to those of the milkfish of a nearby open atoll, Kauehi, using a mitochondrial marker. Niau's milkfish population exhibits a lower genetic diversity compared to that of the Kauehi population, suggesting that the population experienced a genetic bottleneck. However, the two populations are not differentiated, consistent with the hypothesis that Niau's milkfish population origin is human derived from the surrounding ocean population. Its smaller effective size suggests that this population has been self-sustaining for many generations. Ancient Polynesians were known for their transport of many species throughout the Pacific; this study is the first case suggesting transplantation of a marine fish. In addition, our results suggest that Niau's milkfish population is large enough to limit inbreeding depression and seems to have been effectively managed over multiple generations by the local Polynesian communities.

Repackaging Tradition in Tahiti?: Mono'i and Labels of Origin in French Polynesia

In 1992, Monoi de Tahiti (coconut oil scented with tiare flowers) was granted an appellation d'origine by the French government. It was (and remains) the only cosmetic product to receive such certification, as well as the only appellation in French Polynesia. This article examines mono'i as cultural heritage and as an industrial product in the territory, and the transformations wrought through gaining the appellation. The appellation d'origine formally recognized and protected the unique environmental and cultural heritage embodied by the oil, which has long been made with Polynesian communities and which has been commercialized since World War II. The production methods enshrined in the appellation laws, however, emphasize industrial manufacturing processes, in tension with both the imagined Pacific heritage marketed to tourists and foreign consumers and the place of mono'i within Polynesian communities. In navigating between tradition and modernity, this contemporary commodity raises questions of authenticity and invented tradition, as well as questions of who benefits from the repackaging of cultural tradition in French Polynesia. Given that appellations d'origine and geographical indications have recently been touted as tools for indigenous intellectual property, this case study demonstrates both the potential and limits of such legislation for the Pacific more broadly.

A foreign flower no more: Tongan diasporic media and the 2014 Tongan election

The use of social media and the involvement of diasporic populations in politics is a growing trend among diasporic Polynesian communities and Island politicians. Auckland-based Tongan media, which are the focus of this article, appear to have had an effect on voter behaviour in the 2014 Tongan elections. Using the Auckland-based news site Kaniva News as a case study and drawing on interviews with Tongan journalists, this article sets out to show the links between the development of online media among the Tongan diaspora, the rise of ‘Akilisi Pohiva’s democracy movement and the mediated involvement of New Zealand’s Tongan community in that democratic process. Similar developments have also been noted in Fiji and the Cook Islands where online media played an important part in recent elections.

Eastern Polynesian: The Linguistic Evidence Revisited

For the past fifty years, historical linguistics and archaeology have provided seemingly mutually corroboratory evidence for the settlement of east Polynesia. However, more recent findings in archaeology have shifted this relationship out of balance, calling previous conclusions into question. This paper first reviews the generally accepted archaeological and linguistic theories of east Polynesia’s settlement, then describes the recent archaeological findings, highlighting the areas where the evidence from the two disciplines is now discordant. In sections four and five, I examine the linguistic data from Eastern Polynesian languages and propose a new, contact-based model for the region. The new linguistic model ultimately demonstrates that the settlement of east Polynesia and the development of the Eastern Polynesian languages occurred in one major period of dispersal, with subsequent spheres of contact among central Polynesian communities, producing the pattern of cultural and linguistic traits we see today.

Is Genetic Labeling of “Risk” Related to Obesity Contributing to Resistance and Fatalism in Polynesian Communities?

For Western health professionals, obesity and related illnesses are viewed as preventable and arising from lifestyle choices; however, for Polynesians and many other Indigenous peoples, these same diseases are regarded as genetically determined. This article examines this contradiction and questions whether high clusters of these illnesses are evidence of “faulty genes” or are a product of other socioeconomic and cultural influences related to postcolonial marginalization. We suggest that both the ways genetic findings are disseminated and a limited understanding of their predictive capacity may in fact contribute to certain fatalistic attitudes within these populations. Labeling Polynesians “at risk” can engender fear in the community, arguably leading to a greater reluctance of people to be tested. In turn, this leads to more Polynesians presenting late for treatment as well as to poorer outcomes. Our article focuses on the results of qualitative interviews with sixty-seven Polynesian migrants to Australia.

Volcanic structures and oral traditions of volcanism of Western Samoa (SW Pacific) and their implications for hazard education

The Samoan Islands have experienced > 2 million years of volcanism, culminating in historic eruptions at both the east and western ends of the chain including a major lava-producing episode on the island of Savai'i from AD 1905–1911. Upolu in Western Samoa has several areas mapped as early Holocene in age (> 5 ka), but here we present new evidence for fresh volcanic landforms and deposits, supported by a radiocarbon date of 1915 ± 65 yrs B.P., giving a maximum age to a phreatomagmatic tuff cone offshore of Cape Tapaga, east Upolu. In addition, we report on a parallel investigation of the oral traditions of communities surrounding fresh volcanic landforms that may reflect distant “volcanic memories” passed down over generations. To accommodate Samoan cultural structures, oral traditional knowledge was sought through semi-structured interviews with small groups (3–4) or individuals. Samoan facilitators focused on high-ranking and traditionally respected (particularly elderly) individuals for explanations of the origins of local features, including their genesis, use and any related geo-hazards. Areas targeted were those where young eruptions (< 3500 yr BP) were suspected from geological mapping. In stark contrast to communities in Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea or the Solomon Islands, the village communities show extremely limited knowledge of their volcanic heritage. Youthful volcanic landforms are often not recognised as such and appear to play little role in everyday life. Few, if any, legends are attached to any volcanic feature. Instead, oral traditions deal primarily with the origins of Samoans (overlain by strong Christian teachings), and past disputes/battles and wrongdoings between tribes/neighbours. The only exceptions to this were identified in legends from East Upolu, where offshore islands (tuff cones) are associated with late Holocene explosive phreatomagmatic volcanism. Maps drawn by individuals and groups interviewed, highlighted the resources and landscapes important in their lives. The majority of these were prepared as 3D oblique-view sketches, rather than plan-views, showing little in common with typical hazard maps used in the area. In addition, maps were commonly restricted strictly to boundaries of local communities, ignoring major features (such as fresh volcanic cones) that were in the territory of “next door” villages. These perspectives need to be focused upon in future iterations of hazard maps and hazard-education programmes for Samoa and similar Polynesian communities.

National and ethnic identity markers

The New Zealand (NZ) short front vowels are often considered as a defining feature of New Zealand English (NZE), yet research which has considered data from both the Pakeha (NZ European) and the NZ Maori communities has noted slightly different patterns in the realisations of the vowel in the KIT lexical set in the respective communities (Bell 1997a, b; Warren and Bauer 2004). This paper compares the short front vowel series of NZ Maori students with that of NZ Samoan, Tongan, Cook Island and Niuean students and demonstrates how the NZ short front vowel series mark both similarity and difference across NZ communities. Our findings show that NZ Maori students have a greater degree of centralisation in their KIT vowel and a greater degree of raising of their DRESS and TRAP vowels than their NZ Pasifika counterparts. However, the manner in which the vowels raise and centralise distinguishes NZ Maori and Cook Island students from their NZ Samoan, Tongan and Niuean cohorts. The latter observation highlights problems with the pan-ethnic “Pasifika” label used to distinguish NZ Maori from other NZ Polynesian communities.

A Polynesian Motif on the Y Chromosome: Population Structure in Remote Oceania

The Polynesian motif, a mitochondrial DNA marker of ancestral Polynesian communities, has filled a critical role in reconstructions of remote Oceanic history. Although the motif provides an effective narrative for Polynesian females, no equivalent male history is available from paternal lineages. Here, we describe a Y-chromosome binary polymorphism with absolute Polynesian affinity. We illustrate its unique spatial and temporal connections to early Polynesian communities, and through an analysis of associated short tandem repeat variation, we describe the first clear genealogic structure within Polynesia. Unlike the eastern and western regions advocated by archeology, we identify a tripartite structure comprising interaction spheres in the west (Tonga and Samoa), center (Tahiti), and east (Rapanui/Easter Island). Such patterning, a product of early regional contact and subsequent isolation, signals the conflicting roles of mobility and seclusion in Polynesian prehistory.

State Building Reconsidered: the Role of Hybridity in the Formation of Political Order

This article argues that 'tradition’ is not giving way to 'modernity’ in the South Pacific. On the contrary, custom and tradition are enjoying something of a resurgence as actors in Melanesia and Polynesia rediscover the ways in which custom enables the development of resilient communities, strong social relationships and indigenous modes of dealing with conflict and restoring social harmony. Through the lens of 'political hybridity’ (which argues that Weberian models of the state should not trump customary forms of governance and vice versa) this article argues that there are evolving hybrid institutions, blending the strengths of both traditional and modern cultures, that may be more appropriate to South Pacific cultures than conventional Westminster models. The argument is developed in relation to six Melanesian and Polynesian communities.

Divided loyalties and fractured sovereignty: Transnationalism and the nation-state in Aotearoa/New Zealand

New Zealand represents one example of the way in which a colonially-inspired transnationalism linking the country with the UK has been supplemented by new and intensified forms of transnationalism encompassing the Pacific and Asia. Our focus in this paper is on the nature of an emergent Pacific diaspora involving primarily Polynesian communities and the challenges that this transnationalism presents to the state and national identity. The transnationalism of Pacific peoples is reflected in the circulation of people, capital and ideas, the latter increasingly via the Internet, but the nature of transnational linkages is also significantly influenced by changes to ethnic identity and practice, and by the impoverishment of both 'homeland' and diasporic communities.

Sex and Schooling: The sexual activity of young people and its implications for education

New Zealand has the second highest rate of teenage pregnancy among the developed Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development countries. There is evidence both that the age of sexual activity is falling, and that an increasing proportion of students are sexually active while at school. These quantitative changes are accompanied by other transformations in patterns of sexual behaviour. It seems that middle-class girls are asserting their right to be sexually active while some working-class girls, particularly those from the Polynesian communities, are separating their relations of friendship and sexual interaction with boys. It is suggested that this may be based on a refusal to accept oppressive forms of relationships and the male rules that define them. Some implications of these findings for family strategies of reproduction and school policies are discussed. The analysis draws on a longitudinal programme of research concerned with the progress of students at secondary school.

Linguists and Language Maintenance: Pasifika Languages in Manukau, New Zealand

Manukau City is the most language-rich area in New Zealand, yet it has date not been the subject of any detailed sociolinguistic study. This paper reports on pilot work for a major project on the languages of Manukau, and addresses the question of whether linguists can contribute language maintenance efforts. It consists of an analysis of New Zealand census data on language use in the area, supported by qualitative data collected from eight pilot interviews. The 1996 New Zealand census was the first contain a language question, and we show how this provides background information on language use and language shift in Manukau. The census results depict the use of both ethnic languages and English in the four main Pasifika communities--Samoan, Cook Islands, Tongan, and Niuean. Age grading of self-reported proficiency in the Pasifika languages indicates the differing degrees which they are undergoing shift or maintaining their standing. Qualitative data gathered in interviews with community members p rovide some possible explanations of how these Pasifika languages are shifting English. The final section of the paper looks at the issue of whether and what linguists can contribute language INTRODUCTION There are two sections this paper: section I reports on a project that is currently investigating the state of health of the Samoan, Cook Islands Maori, Tongan, and Niuean languages in Manukau City. We present the findings from the pilot study that preceded the main project. It consists of the analysis of the 1996 New Zealand census data on language use in these four Pasifika communities, supplemented by qualitative comments from one older and one younger member from each community. Section 2 of the paper addresses the basis of one of the stated goals of the Languages of Manukau project. The project has as its twin aims to investigate the use of and attitudes the four main Pasifika languages in the Manukau region, and contribute their maintenance. We examine the assumptions behind the second goal by asking what linguists can do, if anything, help the language maintenance efforts. The question becomes all the more important in situations where linguists are not native speakers of the languages be maintained. In such situations, communities have been known question the authority and qualifications of foreign linguists effectively carry out research on, and make informed statements and recommendations about, the endangered language. In cases where linguists have not been seen be of substantial help, it is taken as confirmation that they indeed lack the qualifications intervene successfully in language maintenance efforts. There is also the view that issues of l anguage survival may be peripheral to--or even lie outside the scope of--theoretical linguistics as it is currently formulated. In the Pacific this has probably led a decrease in the number of linguists concerned with language maintenance, or at least fewer presentations and publications on language endangerment issues. 1. THE PASIFIKA PEOPLES IN NEW ZEALAND In this paper, Pasifika people refers Polynesian communities other than New Zealand Maori. The four largest Pasifika communities in New Zealand are the Samoan, Cook Islands, Tongan, and Niuean peoples. Together they make up only 5 percent of the New Zealand population, but in Manukau, they make up 20 percent (see figure 1). (2) Manukau City lies the south of Auckland, which is New Zealand's largest city. Manukau has more people of different cultures and languages than any other part of New Zealand. These four communities are the largest Pasifika groups in Manukau, and represent a substantial proportion of the total New Zealand population of the groups. For this reason it is likely that trends we note in Manukau will apply other regions of the country. …

Diabetes Mellitus and Impaired Glucose Tolerance in Saudi Arabia

This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM), insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) in different areas of Saudi Arabia. A household survey was conducted in 34 different areas of Saudi Arabia. Demographic data and medical history were taken and filled. Fasting and two-hour "post-glucose load" blood samples were collected from 23,493 Saudi males and females and blood glucose was estimated immediately. The diagnoses of DM and IGT were made based on the criteria of the World Health Organization (WHO). Diabetic patients were subgrouped as IDDM and NIDDM on the basis of age of onset and mode of treatment. In the overall group (two to 70 years), the prevalence of IDDM, NIDDM and IGT was 0.193%, 5.503% and 0.498% in the Saudi males and 0.237%, 4.556% and 0.900% in the Saudi females. When grouped on the basis of age, there were 8762 children (<14 years). Of these children, 15 (0.171%) had IDDM and 13 (0.148%) had maturity onset diabetes of the young (MODY). The prevalence of IGT in this group was 0.250%. In the 14-70-year age group, the prevalence of IDDM, NIDDM and IGT was 0.239%, 9.50% and 0.717% in the males and 0.248%, 6.820% and 1.347% in the females, respectively. A significant increase (P<0.001) was obvious in the age group >30 years, where the prevalence of NIDDM and IGT rose to 17.32% and 1.30% in the males and 12.18% and 2.2% in the females, respectively. IDDM showed a slight decrease in those over the age of 60 years. These results place Saudi Arabia among the countries that have a high prevalence for DM and a moderate risk for IGT. In light of these findings, it is clear that carefully planned programs are needed to achieve control and prevention of diabetes mellitus in Saudi Arabia.

To the Islands: The Remittances of Fijians in Sydney

Migration of Melanesian Fijians to Sydney has become substantial since the 1980s. Much migration is of individuals, rather than families, and based on individual decisions. Though remittances are not a primary goal of migration, they are considerable and comparable to those of overseas Polynesian communities. Remittances, in goods and money, were usually sent to close kin, especially parents, in accordance with perceptions of needs and were usually mainly for food and clothes. A smaller but still substantial proportion was sent through churches and provincial groups for development projects benefiting communities and wider regions. Social distance, geographical scale, household size and the impact of recession on employment and incomes were critical influences on the volume of remittances.