c”.So what have we gathered? Polynesians came from the west, and they had canoes with well-equipped navigational technology to disprove their landings in the Pacific to be a mistake. But what made them leave their homes in search for another; researches have concluded their departure was perhaps due to over-population, war, natural resources or perhaps Manna. From one of the poems sited from Lali: A Pacific Anthology, “My Polynesian fathers who escaped the sun’s wars, seeking these islands by prophetic stars”, describes one of the reasons of departure with the help of celestial navigation.With all this information, a thought comes to mind: Why would these islander want to be confined in to these little tiny islands? We, as outsiders, see the Pacific as an area of many little tiny islands. We measure the area by land surface. While the islanders have a different perspective of the Pacific. “ Their universe comprises of not only land surfaces, but the surrounding ocean as far as they could traverse and exploit it, the underworld with its fire-controlling and earthshaking denizens, and the heavens above with their hierarchies of powerful gods and named the stars and the constellations that people could count on to guide their ways across the seas.”Yet one more question boggles the mind: How did they survive on these islands? For consumption, there were coconuts, breadfruit, and pigs amongst other things. They built homes and canoes out of trees and leaves. The islanders also had gods, which they gave offerings, and sacrifices. They were aristocratic people, with marriages only within your own rank.All the research that were done by these explorer and scholars have help the Pacific define their origin, which has allowed the Island people to have a sense of belonging, and pride for what their ancestor have achieved. You can see how joyful the Polynesians were when the Hokule’a landed in Tahiti: ̶...
