History & Language

Around 4000 BCE, the seafaring people of the Solomon Islands left the comfort of their sandy shores to travel into the vast unknown. Guided by the winds and sea, they sailed across the Pacific to settle Tonga and Samoa, before pressing on to find Fiji and Vanuatu. After 300 years spent hopping from island to island, they fell into what’s known as “The Long Pause,” which researchers believe to be caused by a lack of technology to navigate the strong winds surrounding both Tonga and Samoa.

When you visit the islands, you’ll be immersed in a culture rich with storytelling. Long before it was common to record history with ink and paper, the Polynesian people passed down the knowledge of their ancestors through speeches, myths, and waiata, or songs. The men and women of the South Seas believe that creativity is a gift bestowed by the divine, through a powerful, supernatural energy called mana. While everyone has the potential to increase their mana, some are born with more than other

The Pōmare Dynasty ruled the Tahitian islands from 1788 until 1880 and consisted of five rulers—Pōmare I-V. Pōmare I, also known as Tu or Outu, was the first king of Tahiti and the founder of the Pōmare Dynasty. He ruled between 1788-1791 and united the many chiefdoms of Tahiti into one kingdom. Pōmare II began his rule in 1803 before being recognized as the supreme sovereign by the ruler of Hauhine and was forced to take refuge in Moorea in 1808. In 1815, he returned and defeated his enemies at the Battle of Te Feipī. After his victory, he was recognized as the true king of Tahiti. He embraced Christianity during his reign and established a “missionary kingdom,” ruling by a scriptural code of law. Pōmare III began his rule in 1820 after the death of his father, Pōmare II. As he was only 1 year old, he ruled under the regency of his mother, stepmother, and aunt. At age 13, Queen Pōmare IV began her rule in 1827 after the death of her younger brother Pōmare III. She was the longest reigning royal, ruling Tahiti until 1877. In 1842, she deported two French Roman Catholic priests, leading the French to establish a protectorate over Tahiti. Pōmare V, Queen Pōmare IV’s son, was the last king of Tahiti, ruling from 1877 until Tahiti was proclaimed a French colony in 1880.

The indigenous societies of the South Seas were drastically affected by the influx of Christianity and French culture. Maraes, or temples, were destroyed, tattoos were banned, and traditional dances and ceremonies were claimed to be “too erotic and inappropriate.” In fact, when Paul Gauguin exiled himself to Tahiti in 1891, he was appalled to see how much French colonization corrupted the island. Thankfully traditionalism has found its way back to the shores of Polynesia, perfectly blending the vibrancy of Tahitian culture with the relaxed energy of the French shoreline.