things to Know

OCEANIA is made up of 25,000 islands that are organized into AUSTRALIA, MICRO(small), POLY(many), and MELA(black) NESIA(islands).

Micronesia - 600 islands. Micronesia is made up of 4 island states: Pohnpei, Kosrae, Chuuk and Yap. Including Nan Madol

Polynesia - 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean including New Zealand.

Melanesia - Extending from New Guinea island in the southwestern Pacific Ocean to the Arafura Sea, and eastward to Tonga.  Includes Fiji.

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4,000 years of culture begun by the Lapita people

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Sailing Cultures that are heavily influenced by geography, the ocean, and colonization.

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Meaning and power of objects used in performances are dictated by HOW they are used within the performance rather than as stand alone objects. 

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Vocabulary

Ahu: pedestal or platform for the moai on Easter Island

‘Ahu ‘ula: “red garment”; term for Hawaiian feather cloaks

Ali’i: Hawaii’s ruling hereditary elite

Ges: spirit double of an individual

Hiapo: Niuean name for tapa cloth

Maori: indigenous peoples of New Zealand

Mana: supernatural power associated with those of high rank; also a power embodied in sacred places or objects

Moai: large stone sculptures found on Easter Island; likely depict rulers or ancestors

Moko: facial tattoos used by the Maori

Pukao: top knots placed on some moai statues

Rebbelib: stick chart with shells denoting islands in large sections of water

Scarification: ritual cutting of the body to create scars with particular patterns that denote status or identity 

Tapa: Oceanic cloth made from bark that is soaked, beaten, dyed and decorated

Tapu: Tapu or tabu is a Polynesian traditional concept denoting something holy or sacred, with "spiritual restriction" or "implied prohibition"; it involves rules and prohibitions. The English word taboo derives from this later meaning and dates from Captain James Cook's visit to Tonga in 1777.

Totem: object or creature that connected to ancestral spirits