Traditional Polynesian Research Articles

Identification of breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) and South American crops introduced during early settlement of Rapa Nui (Easter Island), as revealed through starch analysis.

Starch residue analysis was carried out on stone tools recovered from the bottom layer of the Anakena site on Rapa Nui (Easter Island). These deposits have been dated to AD 1000-1300 AD and so far, represent the earliest evidence of human settlement on this island. Twenty obsidian tools were analyzed. Analysis of 46 starch grains recovered from 20 obsidian tools from the earliest dated level of the Anakena site on Rapa Nui provides direct evidence for translocation of traditional crop plants at initial stages of the colonization of this island. The analysis of starch grains was based mainly on statistical methods for species identification but was complemented by visual inspection in some cases. Our results identify taxons previously unknown to have been cultivated on the island, such as breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis), Zingiber officinale (ginger), and starch grains of the Spondias dulcis and Inocarpus fagifer tropical trees. Additionally, starch grains of Colocasia esculenta (taro) and Dioscorea sp. (yam), both common species in Pacific agriculture, were identified. Furthermore, the presence of four American taxa Ipomoea batatas (sweet potato), Canna sp. (achira), Manihot esculenta (manioc), and Xanthosoma sp., was detected. The occurrence of Canna sp., M. esculenta, and Xanthosoma sp. starch grains suggests the translocation of previously not described South American cultivars into the Pacific. The detection of I. batatas from this site in Rapa Nui constitutes the earliest record of this cultigen in the Pacific. Our study provides direct evidence for translocation of a set of traditional Polynesian and South American crop plants at the initial stages of colonization in Rapa Nui.

Assessing spatial models of Hawaiian agroecological extents

The Hawaiian Islands have been employed as a model system to reconstruct agroecological extents of traditional Polynesian agricultural production systems. However, the reliability of previously modeled agricultural extents is unknown due to limitations in empirical evidence to assess accuracy. Utilizing a geospatial database of 8,561 archaeological sites compiled by the Hawaiʻi State Historic Preservation Department (SHPD), this research assessed the accuracy and reliability of three spatial models that estimate the extents of traditional Hawaiian agricultural systems. The results of the model sensitivity assessment indicate the three geospatial models capture the spatial patterns and relative extents of intensive agricultural systems with substantial infrastructure, while additional work is needed to assess reliability of modeled agricultural systems with more indefinite infrastructure.

Soils, agriculture, and land use in island socio‐ecosystems: Three case studies from Southeastern Polynesia

AbstractThe availability of nutrient‐rich soils capable of supporting intensive cultivation was a key factor in the relative vulnerability and resilience of traditional Polynesian societies, whose economies were based on agricultural production. We tested the hypothesis that geological age was a key controlling factor in determining the nutrient status of island soils, extensively sampling soils on two islands and a small archipelago in southeastern Polynesia: Mo‘orea (1.5–1.72 Ma), Maupiti (3.9–4.5 Ma), and the Gambier Islands (5.6–6.3 Ma). Rather than supporting a hypothesis of island age primarily determining soil fertility, our results indicate that topographic relief, the presence of active slope processes such as landslides and mass wasting, and rainfall are more important controlling factors. Rejuvenation of soil nutrients due to mass wasting, in particular, appears to be the most important factor contributing to soil fertility. Our field surveys also provide archaeological evidence showing that precontact Polynesians were finely attuned to local soil properties, targeting high soil fertility areas for agriculture and reserving lower fertility areas for other land use practices.

Birds as Companion Animals in Traditional Polynesian Narratives

Abstract In all traditional Polynesian societies, people developed a deep knowledge of all feathered creatures, and devised a great many stories about them. This paper offers a summary and a comparative study of seventeen traditional narratives from throughout Polynesia that feature birds as the companions of the human, divine, or semidivine protagonists of the stories. These oral traditions, which were put in writing in the 19th and 20th centuries by Westerners, show that, in traditional Polynesian societies, people perceived birds as much more than a food source: They were deeply attached to the feathered creatures that they kept as companion animals.

Qualitative study on voyaging and health: perspectives and insights from the medical officers during the Worldwide Voyage

ObjectiveTo examine the potential association of ocean voyaging with human health and well-being from the perspectives and experiences of the medical officers (MOs) who served during the Worldwide Voyage (WWV).DesignUsing...

Mana Tupuna: Honoring the Ancestors Abroad

The Mana Tupuna Project reimagines the connection between contemporary Rapanui people and the carvings of their ancestors. The inaugural iteration of this multifaceted project focuses on the Mulloy collection in the University Wyoming Museum of Art. By digitally bridging between museum art abroad and people on Rapa Nui, this project reinforces Polynesian language, culture, and values in both local and global settings. Beginning in March 2020, international travel and tourism to Rapa Nui (Easter Island) stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the island was in a state of relative isolation for nearly two and a half years. Resilient and indomitable as ever, the people of Rapa Nui took this time to refocus on traditional farming, fishing, Rapanui language, and cultural revitalization projects. The Mana Tupuna project, which is a collaboration between the Rapa Nui Tour Guides Association, Rapa Nui wood carvers, and the author, explores and assesses colonial discourses, their effects on the art and culture of Rapa Nui, and the possibilities for more sustainable forms of tourism that do not rely solely on people physically visiting the island. The applications that support Mana Tupuna function as language and culture revitalization tools. Educational institutions on Rapa Nui have already begun to use them. These applications re-anchor Rapa Nui wood carvings from the 1950s and 1960s, now residing in the University of Wyoming Art Museum, to the people and places of Rapa Nui via 3D modeling, 360° photography, virtual reality, and the internet. Crucially, the global tourist audience can also access versions of these applications. Wood carvings (moai toromiro), among the first trade goods exchanged between Europeans and the Rapanui, have been a key element of social interactions between the islanders and their visitors since the first Europeans visited the island 300 years ago. This article, which privileges traditional Polynesian cultural values, explores the history of Rapa Nui wood carving and Western views of this tradition.

French Polynesia

French Polynesia Lorenz Gonschor The most important events during the year under review were the territorial elections of late April and early May 2018, in which Édouard Fritch, after essentially ruling as a usurper for the last four years, was able to consolidate his power as the country's new strong-man by receiving a democratic mandate. Besides the elections, the period [End Page 194] remained relatively calm and without major upheavals. While the tourism economy seems to be slowly recovering, two controversial economic mega-projects remain hotly debated. On the international level, French defiance of UN resolutions on the territory appears to continue unabated under the Macron administration. The review period began with a new boost of international acknowledgment for the country, and by extension the Pacific region at large, when on 9 July the Executive Council of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (unesco), at a meeting in Krakow, Poland, declared Marae Taputapuatea, a historical temple complex on the island of Raiatea, a World Heritage Site. For several years, cultural organizations on Raiatea as well as several local politicians had been campaigning for the temple's listing, and with their lobbying the nomination of the site slowly progressed. For the final decision, both the President of French Polynesia Édouard Fritch and the mayor of the Taputapuatea municipality on Raiatea, Thomas Moutame, traveled to Krakow to be present at the historic occasion (ti, 9 July 2017). Marae Taputapuatea is an outstanding example of Polynesian megalithic architecture, with walls made out of coral stone slabs of a height of up to 3.5 meters each. The temple complex also has a regional importance that transcends today's political boundaries, as it was one of the most important spiritual and cultural centers of Eastern Polynesia during the centuries before European contact, with oral histories and temple names in other parts of French Polynesia, the Cook Islands, Aotearoa/New Zealand, and Hawai'i referring to the site. The inscription of Taputapuatea as a World Heritage Site marks what is so far the highest level of increasing institutional recognition of traditional Polynesian culture and spirituality. While Christian influence had for about two centuries obscured and denigrated many aspects of that culture, it is increasingly coming back in full force (Saura 2009). During the review period, one of the leading figures in the contemporary spiritual revival movement, Sunny Moanaura Walker—who unapologetically identifies as a "pagan"—gained widespread recognition when a known local author published a biography about him (Ariirau 2017). A more problematic aspect of Taputapuatea's world heritage listing, however, is that as long as the country remains a French dependency, unesco considers France, not the country government, as the state party responsible for the site. In consequence, Taputapuatea is now listed as a "French" heritage site on unesco's website alongside such monuments as the Cathedral of Reims and the Palace of Versailles (unesco 2018), reinforcing France's colonial claim over the site rather than identifying it as a pan-Polynesian monument. Meanwhile, the country's unresolved decolonization continued to be hotly debated within other UN agencies. During the annual hearings before the UN Decolonization Committee in New York at the beginning of October, the political status of French Polynesia was once again a subject of contention. President Fritch testified repeatedly that his country [End Page 195] was fulfilling all of the conditions of a self-governing country and should therefore be removed from the list of territories to be decolonized. However, since the country government actually only has administrative but no sovereign powers, which remain France's exclusive prerogatives, the president earned little recognition. Accordingly, the Overseas Territories Review blog stated that Fritch's statements were nothing more than "Colonial Accomodationist Antics" (otr, 4 Oct 2017). The fifteen other representatives of French Polynesia who testified at the hearing all agreed and condemned their president and France's refusal to cooperate with the UN decolonization agencies (otr, 4 Oct 2017; rnz, 6 Oct 2017). In late November, this assessment received additional confirmation when the International Olympic Committee (ioc) in Lausanne, Switzerland, responded to a request for subsidies to the local Olympic Committee of French Polynesia. The ioc stated that...

Hepatitis E prevalence in French Polynesian blood donors.

The HEV seroprevalence in mainland France is elevated (22.4%). In contrast, anti-HEV seroprevalence appears to be lower in Oceania. However, none is available for French Polynesia. We assessed the anti-HEV IgG and IgM prevalence on samples from 300 consecutive blood donors living on Tahiti and Moorea islands. Epidemiological information was collected using a specific questionnaire. Overall IgM seroprevalence was 0.6% and overall IgG seroprevalence was 7.7%. The presence of anti-HEV IgG was associated with increasing age (p = 0.01), eating chicken offal (p = 0.01) and cooked rabbit (p = 0.02). Conversely, eating fafaru—traditional Polynesian condiment—was associated with a lower rate of anti-HEV IgG (p<0.01).). All donors who surfed or practiced va’a (traditional outrigger canoë) were HEV seronegative. The Polynesian lifestyle and the particular food consumption patterns—especially the very well cooked pork—may be the key to understand the low HEV seroprevalence in French Polynesia.

Comparison of Design Preferences in the Hawaiian Shirt and Current Market

The Hawaiian shirt, also known as the Aloha shirt, is a short-sleeved, colorful shirt with traditional Polynesian designs (e.g., hibiscus, fish) originating in Hawai‘i. The shirt was selected for study because it is a unique garment that originated in the Hawaiian Islands in the late 19th and 20th centuries and marketed as a tourist product but was eventually adopted as appropriate residential clothing by the mid-20th century, however with different aesthetic details. Today, it is assumed by Hawaiian Island residents that tourists demonstrate poor taste when selecting a Hawaiian shirt. The purposes of this study are to examine the validity of the assumption that tourist taste and resident taste in Hawaiian shirts are different and to investigate the current Hawaiian shirt market change. For this study, 555 questionnaires were obtained from tourists and residents, and 10 Hawaiian shirt retailers/wholesalers participated in in-depth interviews. The results indicated that differences do exist between tourists’ and residents’ preferences for print designs and colorway. The market change of Hawaiian shirts was also recognizable in that an increasing number of tourists select Hawaiian shirts similar to resident customers, as part of their routine lives rather than as holiday or vacation garments. Other differences in Hawaiian shirt shopping behavior included the findings that tourists consider fabrication less important than resident customers who consider fabrication more (i.e., cotton 100%). By using both quantitative and qualitative methods, this study contributes to the fashion design and marketing field as well as help manufacturers and retailers with their merchandise and distribution plans.

Morinda citrifolia L. - Phyto - Pharmacological Perspective review

Morinda citrifolia is a tree in the coffee family, Rubiaceae. Its native range extends through Southeast Asia, Central America, and Australasia, and the species is now cultivated throughout the tropics and widely naturalised. M. citrifolia L. also called as Noni or Indian mulberry is a small evergreen tree. It is one of the most important traditional Polynesian medicinal plants. The present study was undertaken to review of M. citrifolia for its effects on antioxidant, anti-epileptic, breast cancer prevention, antibacterial effect, liver protective effects, antifungal activity, anti-helmintic activity, anxiolytic activity, estrogenic activity, immunological activity, analgesic activity, hypotensive activity, insecticidal activity, and cancer preventive effect. This plant has also been popular as a source of red, yellow, and purple dyes.

Optimising Elicitors and Precursors to Enhance Alizarin and Purpurin Production in Adventitious Roots of Morinda citrifolia L.

Morinda citrifolia L. belongs to family Rubiaceae. It is a traditional Polynesian medicinal plant. Its root serves as a rich source of various anthraquinone constituents. The anthraquinone compounds exhibit therapeutic effects of antibacterial, antiviral and anticancer activities. In the present work, an adventitious root culture of M. citrifolia was established and the effectiveness of various elicitors viz, yeast extract, xylan, pectin and the precursor α-ketoglutaric acid on the level of anthraquinone production in adventitious root cultures were assayed. Adventitious root proliferation was achieved in Murashige and Skoog liquid medium supplemented with 24 μM Indole-3-butyric acid. The anthraquinone content was determined by spectrophotometric analysis and the anthraquinone constituents–viz, alizarin and purpurin were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatographic method. Enhancement in alizarin and purpurin along with total anthraquinones was detected due to the addition of precursor and elicitors. Pectin (20 mg/l) added cultures resulted in highest anthraquinone accumulation (44.4 mg/g dw). The protocol developed for the regeneration of roots was simple, reproducible and reliable for the possible commercial production of in vitro root biomass based alizarin and purpurin.

Dietary Patterns, Goitrogenic Food, and Thyroid Cancer: A Case-Control Study in French Polynesia

French Polynesia has one of the world's highest thyroid cancer incidence rates. A case-control study among native residents of French Polynesia included 229 cases of differentiated thyroid cancer diagnosed between 1979 and 2004, and 371 population controls. Dietary patterns and goitrogenic food consumption (cabbage, cassava) were analyzed. We used a factor analysis to identify dietary patterns and a conditional logistic regression analysis to investigate the association between dietary patterns or food items and thyroid cancer risk. Two distinct dietary patterns were identified: traditional Polynesian and Western. A nonsignificant inverse association was observed between the traditional Polynesian dietary pattern and thyroid cancer risk. The Western pattern was not associated with thyroid cancer risk. Cassava consumption was significantly associated with a decreased risk of thyroid cancer. In conclusion, a traditional Polynesian dietary pattern led to a weak reduced risk of thyroid cancer in French Polynesia. The protective effect of cassava on this cancer does not seem to be substantially different from that of cabbage, which was the main goitrogenic food studied to date.

Dietary Iodine and Thyroid Cancer Risk in French Polynesia: A Case–Control Study

French Polynesia has one of the world's highest thyroid cancer incidence rates. Iodine is suspected to play a role in this high incidence. The objective of this study was to assess whether low dietary iodine is related to a higher risk of thyroid cancer in the French Polynesian population. A case-control study was performed among native residents of French Polynesia. It included 229 cases of differentiated thyroid cancer diagnosed between 1979 and 2004 (203 women, 26 men) matched with 371 population controls (324 women, 47 men) on the date of birth. The current study is focused on dietary iodine intake and fish consumption (food rich in iodine) and analyzed by conditional logistic regression. Daily dietary iodine intake was insufficient (<150 μg/day) in 60% of both cases and controls. A decreased risk of thyroid cancer was observed with a higher consumption of fish (p(trend)=0.008) and shellfish (p(trend)=0.002), and also with a higher dietary iodine intake (p(trend)=0.03). There was no significant interaction between the effects of the thyroid radiation dose and the dietary iodine intake (p=0.2). French Polynesia is a mild iodine deficiency area in which a higher consumption of food from the sea and a higher dietary iodine intake are significantly associated with a decreased risk of thyroid cancer. The quantification of this reduction requires specific investigation of iodine intake in traditional Polynesian food.

AKO – A TRADITIONAL LEARNING CONCEPT FOR MAORI AND PACIFIC YOUTH, AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO LIFELONG LEARNING

Summary Ako is a traditional Polynesian concept meaning both to learn and to teach. This paper examines this concept and its relationship to education for Maori and Pacific youth against the backdrop of lifelong learning. It argues that success for Maori and Pacific youth can only be successful if attention is paid to their cultural as well as their academic needs. It argues for the educational development of the whole person incorporating the intellectual, spiritual and physical components of the self and the community rather than the economic and labour imperatives that often drive educational systems.

Our sea of islands: migration and mtissage in contemporary Polynesian writing

This article explores metaphors of oceanic migration in contemporary Polynesian writing, investigating the notion of a regional Oceanic identity embraced by a variety of Pacific (and particularly Polynesian) writers and theorists, while also acknowledging the specific historical circumstances and consequences of sea migration within individual Polynesian cultures. Throughout, the essay maintains a multiple temporal focus, identifying the ways in which imagery of the sea and more specifically the traditional Polynesian waka/vaka (voyaging canoe) has been deployed by Polynesian writers as a chronotope not only of pre-European (and early contact) patterns of migration and cultural exchange within the Pacific, but also of the large-scale migrations of Polynesians to various neighbouring nations since the Second World War. The essay also engages with the complex cultural exchanges brought about by various historical phases of European maritime exploration and settlement in the Pacific, analysing how Polynesian writers explore the effects of intermarriage and cultural contact between Polynesians and Europeans since the late eighteenth century. In investigating these patterns of cross-cultural exchange, the essay adopts the French term mtissage, which, alongside the related concepts of hybridity and syncreticity, denotes genetic and cultural exchanges and intermixing. Drawing upon the work of various postcolonial theorists, the essay examines mtissage in the Pacific both at the level of (material) cultural exchange, and within literary texts produced by anglophone and francophone Polynesian writers, particularly those who explicitly identify themselves as of mixed race.

HIV Risk Behaviors AmongMahuwahine(Native Hawaiian Transgender Women)

This study explored HIV risk behaviors among Hawaiian and Polynesian- identified transgender women living in Hawai'i. The term transgender encompasses the experience of individuals who violate rigid binomial Western gender roles (Bockting, Robinson, & Rosser, 1998; Lombardi, Wilchins, Priesing, & Malouf, 2001; Yep & Pietri, 1999, pp. 199-200). Although traditional Polynesian cultures tolerate more gender role variations than Western culture, postcolonial acculturation has resulted in notable stigma for transgender individuals in Hawaiì today (Kameèleihiwa, 1999; Kanuha, 2000). Mahu is a cross-Polynesian term originally describing transgender women or female-acting males (Link, 2004; Nanda, 2000; Odo & Hawelu, 2001; Souza, 1976). Mahuwahine is a newly coined term of empowerment among Hawaiì's transgender community signifying male-to-female (MTF) transgender identity in varying, personally chosen, forms and coincides with the Hawaiian cultural renaissance (Odo & Hawelu, 2001). Although most of the participants in this study identified as mahu or Mahuwahine there was a significant range in self-identifying terminology. Because of this range and intended audience this article will use the term transgender women in referring to individuals described in the findings.

Evaluation of the Wound‐Healing Activity of Ethanolic Extract of Morinda citrifolia L. Leaf

Morinda citrifolia L. (noni) is one of the most important traditional Polynesian medicinal plants. The primary indigenous use of this plant appears to be of the leaves, as a topical treatment for wound healing. The ethanol extract of noni leaves (150 mg kg−1 day−1) was used to evaluate the wound-healing activity on rats, using excision and dead space wound models. Animals were randomly divided into two groups of six for each model. Test group animals in each model were treated with the ethanol extract of noni orally by mixing in drinking water and the control group animals were maintained with plain drinking water. Healing was assessed by the rate of wound contraction, time until complete epithelialization, granulation tissue weight and hydoxyproline content. On day 11, the extract-treated animals exhibited 71% reduction in the wound area when compared with controls which exhibited 57%. The granulation tissue weight and hydroxyproline content in the dead space wounds were also increased significantly in noni-treated animals compared with controls (P < 0.002). Enhanced wound contraction, decreased epithelialization time, increased hydroxyproline content and histological characteristics suggest that noni leaf extract may have therapeutic benefits in wound healing.

Wound-healing activity of Morinda citrifolia fruit juice on diabetes-induced rats

Morinda citrifolia L. is a traditional Polynesian medicinal plant which is apparently useful for bowel disorders, skin inflammation, infection, mouth ulcers and wound healing. This study aimed to evaluate the wound-healing activity of Morinda citrifolia fruit juice in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. An excision wound model was used. The animals were weight-matched and placed into three groups (n = 6 per group). Group 1 animals served as normal controls, while animals in groups 2 and 3 served as diabetic controls and experimental diabetic animals respectively. All animals were anaesthetised and a full-thickness excision wound (circular area of 300 mm2 and 2 mm deep) was created. Group 3 animals were given the juice of Morinda citrifolia fruit (100 ml per kilogram of body weight) in their drinking water for 10 days. Wound area measurements were taken on days 1, 5 and 11. Blood samples were collected simultaneously for glucose measurement. Granulation tissue that had formed on the wound was excised on day 11 and processed for histological and biochemical analysis. The wound area of the Morinda citrifolia-treated group reduced by 73% (p < 0.001) when compared with the diabetic controls (63%). Significant increases in the weight of granulation tissue (p < 0.001) and hydroxyproline content (p < 0.00 1, 92.16 +/- 4.02) were observed. The protein content was moderately high. Histological studies showed that collagen was laid down faster in the experimental diabetic animals than in the normal control and diabetic control groups. Fasting blood glucose values in the diabetic experimental group had reduced by 29% (p < 0.00 1) compared with the diabetic control animals. There was a good correlation between the wound contraction rate and blood glucose values. This study demonstrates that the juice of Morinda citrifolia fruit significantly reduces blood sugar levels and hastens wound healing in diabetic rats.

Agriculture

Health Active Properties of Commercially Available Functional Tools. Traditional Polynesian Medicinal Plant — Noni.

From Polynesian healers to health food stores: changing perspectives of Morinda citrifolia (Rubiaceae).

Morinda citrifolia L (noni) is one of the most important traditional Polynesian medicinal plants. Remedies from isolated Polynesian cultures, such as that of Rotuma, illustrate traditional indications that focus upon leaves, roots, bark, and green fruit, primarily for topical ailments. Anecdotally collected Hawaiian remedies that employ noni fruit illustrate changing usage patterns with shifts in recent times to preparation of juice made of ripe or decaying fruit. Ralph M. Heinicke promoted a wide range of claims about noni, and these seem to have fueled much of the current commercial interest in the plant. Recent studies of the proliferation of commercial products have shown that noni product manufacturers are promoting a range of therapeutic claims. These claims are based upon traditional Polynesian uses, Heinicke's ideas, and fragments of recent scientific studies including the activity of noni in the treatment of cancer. A review is provided of recent studies of potential anticancer activity of noni fruit. While noni's anticancer potential is still being explored, it continues to be widely used by Polynesians and non-Polynesians alike for both traditional and newly hypothesized indications.