1. The History & Culture of the Pacific Islands

2. TIMELINE Ice Age Southeast Asian migrants – New Guinea and Melanesia.
5000 Yrs. Ago
Continued to migrate, populated Micronesia
3500 Yrs. Ago
Migration reached Fiji
7th – 13th Century
Polynesia inhabited inc. Hawaii
1513 AD
Spanish Explorer Vasco Nunez de Balboa 1st European to sight the Pacific Islands
1519 AD
Portuguese Explorer Ferdinand Magellan 1st European to sail Pacific Islands
1564 AD
Mexican Conquistadors led by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi sailed to Philippines and Mariana Islands
1642 AD
Dutchman Abel Tasman discovered Tasmania and New Zealand
18th Century
Russians, French, British Explorers arrive in the Pacific, notably James Cook. He made 3 voyages and studied and mapped the Pacific Islands extensively.
19th Century
Occupation of many Islands by various European countries, USA and Japan
1914 AD
Japan occupied much of the Western Pacific.
After WWII (1942)
Many of the Islands became independent.

3. THE FIRST TO ARRIVE!!!!
Believed to be first discovered in the Ice Age, the Pacific Islands of Melanesia where the first to be inhabited by people.
The people migrated from Southeast Asia.
The Pacific Islands were not as separated as they are today, due to lower sea levels, which allowed the migrants to cross the water in canoes and small boats.

4. Melanesia
Melanesians comprise ¾ of the indigenous population of the islands.
People native to Melanesia have distinctive dark skin and tightly curled hair.
Original inhabitants migrated to Melanesia area approx. 30,000 years ago.
However Fiji has natives who resemble Polynesians, thought to be due to their Indian ancestry.
Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and surrounding islands.

5. SOUTHEAST ASIAN HERITAGE
A small group of Melanesian people are thought to of continued exploring, thus linking the islands of the Polynesia and Micronesia regions genetically. All of the native island people in the Pacific have Southeast Asian heritage.
Polynesians and Micronesians are thought to be genetically linked to Melanesian ancestors, however this is contradicted by some studies.
Contradict: Disagree with or oppose.

6. Micronesia
MONGOLOID: A term used to describe the people of East Asia.
People of Micronesia have Mongoloid characteristics including:
Lighter skin
Dark hair that is straight or wavy (not curled)
On some islands however tan and dark-skinned people, similar to Melanesians can be found.
Micronesians generally live in coastal villages.
The Micronesian culture was one of the last native cultures to develop in the region.
Typical dwellings are thatched, single-room houses.
With separate cooking huts.
Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Guam, Palau, Nauru etc.

7. MICRONESIA CONT.
The islands in the Micronesia region would, be ruled by Europeans quite early on.
By the early 20th century the Micronesian islands would be colonised by the U.S.A, Germany and the British Empire.
Today, most of the Micronesian Islands are independent, with the exception of a few, e.g. Guam, which is governed by the U.S.A.

8. Polynesia
Culture, language and physical appearance are very alike across all the islands in Polynesia.
Features are Mongoloid and are generally taller and lighter – skinned than Micronesians and Melanesians.
Hair not curled, instead either straight or wavy.
Responsible for the Giant Stone Statues on Easter Island.
Tonga, Pitcairn, Hawaii, New Zealand and surrounding islands.

9. CULTURES OF POLYNESIA
Polynesia divides into two distinct cultural groups, East Polynesia and West Polynesia.
The culture of West Polynesia is conditioned to high populations. It has strong institutions of marriage and well-developed judicial, monetary and trading traditions.
Eastern Polynesian cultures are highly adapted to smaller islands and atolls.
The large islands of New Zealand were first settled by Eastern Polynesians who adapted their culture to a non-tropical environment.

10. Tattoos
Tattoos were important to many Pacific Island Cultures. Here is a video on the Polynesian tattoo.

11. People came to the Pacific Region over several thousand years
People came to the Pacific Region over several thousand years. The origins of these people can be traced to :
Southeast Asia
Europe
America
China
India
TODAY !!!
Many Vietnamese and Filipino people migrate to the Islands.

12. VENN DIAGRAM
Draw a Venn Diagram to compare the cultures/people of Melanesia and Polynesia

13. EUROPEAN EXPLORATION
Began in 16th Century by the 18th Century many of the islands were colonies of European countries, Japan, Germany and the USA.
Japan had colonised much of the Western Pacific, after WWII when Japan was defeated, many of these colonies became independent.

14. WESTERN INFLUNCES
Many elements of western lifestyle have been adopted including:
Styles of dress
Job types
Health and education programs
Agricultural and fishing techniques
Transportation and
Telecommunications.
Most western influence in larger cities, still many more traditional areas particularly in centres of larger islands and on islands that are more isolated.