polynesian
From scattered islands
Polynesian refers to the peoples, cultures, and languages of Polynesia—a vast triangle of Pacific islands stretching from Hawaii to New Zealand to Easter Island.
The term describes both the indigenous inhabitants and their shared heritage: Polynesian navigation, Polynesian tattoo traditions.
As a noun, a Polynesian is a person of this ancestry.
The Polynesian languages include Hawaiian, Samoan, Tahitian, and Māori.
Navigating through physical spaces
- outriggerBoat-balancing lateral float
- voyagingTraveling long distances
- celestial navigationLocation-finding via astronomical observation
- wave patternsRecurring oscillation configurations
canoe · double-hulled · paddle · migration · island hopping · trade winds · currents · landfall
Gestural Polynesian dance
- leiFlower necklace
- manaSupernatural indwelling power
- tapuSacred restriction, Polynesian
- alohaHawaiian multipurpose greeting
luau · tattoo · kava · tiki · chief · genealogy · oral tradition · chant
Gestural Polynesian dance
- fire knifeBlazing ceremonial dance implement
- grass skirtWoven fiber costume
- hip movementsPelvis shifting side-to-side
- drumsStruck membrane instruments
ukulele · chanting · ceremonial · rhythmic · storytelling · costume · headdress · anklets
Pacific island state
- TahitiFrench Polynesia's largest island
- SamoaSouth Pacific island nation
- TongaSouth Pacific kingdom
- MaoriNew Zealand's indigenous people
Easter Island · Marquesas · Cook Islands · Fiji · atoll · lagoon · volcanic · tropical
Originating in a region
- ancestryFamily line of descent
- heritageInherited cultural legacy
- diasporaScattered population sharing origins
- identityWho someone is
Pacific Islander · native · community · migration · language family · Austronesian · kinship · bloodline
wayfinding
Navigating through physical spaces
- outriggerBoat-balancing lateral float
- voyagingTraveling long distances
- celestial navigationLocation-finding via astronomical observation
wave patterns · canoe · double-hulled · paddle · migration · island hopping · trade winds · currents · landfall · navigator
hula
Gestural Polynesian dance
aloha · luau · tattoo · kava · tiki · chief · genealogy · oral tradition · chant · mythology
hula
Gestural Polynesian dance
- fire knifeBlazing ceremonial dance implement
- grass skirtWoven fiber costume
- hip movementsPelvis shifting side-to-side
drums · ukulele · chanting · ceremonial · rhythmic · storytelling · costume · headdress · anklets · performance
Hawaii
Pacific island state
Maori · Easter Island · Marquesas · Cook Islands · Fiji · atoll · lagoon · volcanic · tropical · archipelago
indigenous
Originating in a region
- ancestryFamily line of descent
- heritageInherited cultural legacy
- diasporaScattered population sharing origins
identity · Pacific Islander · native · community · migration · language family · Austronesian · kinship · bloodline · mixed
polynesianMelanesian
Southwest Pacific indigenous person
Micronesian · Indonesian · Filipino · Fijian · Malaysian
polynesiancontinental
Of a continent
mainland · European · Asian · African · landlocked
- French PolynesiaPacific overseas territory
- Polynesian islandsPacific Ocean island groups
- Polynesian culturePacific islanders' shared heritage
- Polynesian tattoosIndigenous Pacific body art
- Polynesian cuisineFood of Pacific islanders