Tahiti History and Culture

Culture
The Tahitians of the modern era maintain their heritage and traditions of their Maohi ancestors.



Oral history recounts the adventures of gods and warriors in
colorful legends where javelin throwing was the sport of the gods,
surf riding was favored by the kings, and Aito strongmen
competed in outrigger canoe races and stone lifting as a show
of pure strength.

Marae
The open-air sanctuaries called marae were once the center
of power in ancient Polynesia. These large, stone structures,
akin to temples, hosted the important events of the times
including the worship of the gods, peace treaties, celebrations of war,
and the launch of voyages to colonize distant lands.

Heiva i Tahiti
In celebration of ancient traditions and competitions, the annual
Heiva festival has been the most important event in Tahiti for
the past 122 years. For visitors, there is no better place in the
world to be during July than surrounded by this pure display
of Polynesian festivity. Tahitians gather in Papeete from many
islands to display their crafts, compete in ancient sporting events,
and recreate traditional and elaborate dance performances.


Marae

Heiva i Tahiti
Tattoo
The word tattoo originated in Tahiti. The legend of Tohu,
the god of tattoo, describes painting all the oceans’ fish in
beautiful colors and patterns. In Polynesian culture,
tattoos have long been considered signs of beauty,
and in earlier times were ceremoniously applied when reaching adolescence.

Music and Dance
The beauty, drama, and power of today’s Tahitian
dance testify to its resilience in Polynesian culture.
In ancient times, dances were directly linked with
all aspects of life. One would dance for joy, to welcome a visitor,
to pray to a god, to challenge an enemy, and to seduce a mate.
Dance is still accompanied by traditional musical instruments
such as thunderous drums, conch shells, and harmonic nasal flutes.
Modern Tahitian music is enjoyable as well, with a sound that
often blends Polynesian rhythm and Western melody.

Handcrafts
The skills of the ancestors’ artistry are kept sacred and
passed on by both the “mamas,” the guardians of tradition
and the matriarchs of Tahitian society as well as by skilled
craftsmen. Items include weaving, quilting, wooden sculptures
and bowls, drums, tapa, carvings, and hand-dyed pareu.


Tahiti Handcraft


Tahiti Music and Dance

Canoes
Centuries before the Europeans concluded that the earth was round,
the great voyagers of Polynesia had already mastered the Pacific Ocean.
Aboard massive, double-hulled outrigger canoes called tipairua,
they navigated by stars and winds. Today, the canoe still plays
a role in everyday Tahitian life and is honored in colorful races
and festivals throughout the islands.

Flowers
Tropical flowers seem to be everywhere on the islands,
particularly in the hair of Tahitians. Hibiscus blossoms are
worn behind the ear or braided with palm fronds into floral crowns.
The Tiare Tahiti flower is used in leis for greeting arriving
visitors and returning family. Tradition holds that, if taken,
women and men wear a flower behind their left ear.


Tahiti Canoe


Tahiti Pareu

History
Around 4000 BC, a great migration began from Southeast Asia
across open ocean to settle the Pacific Islands. Many researchers
conclude that Tonga and Samoa were settled around 1300 BC
and from here colonization voyages were launched to the
Marquesas Islands in about 200 BC. Over the next several centuries,
great migrations to colonize all the Tahitian islands and virtually
the entire South Pacific took place.

This area of the Pacific ocean is now called the “Polynesian Triangle”
and includes Hawaii to the north, Easter Island to the southeast,
and New Zealand to the southwest. As a result of these migrations,
the native Hawaiians and the Maoris of New Zealand all originate
from common ancestors and speak a similar language collectively
known as Maohi.