History And Culture Of The Cook Islands

The paper discusses Melanesian and Polynesian polities and economies which in turn highlight the differencees and similiraies amongst them. Sahlins concerned himself with the tribal societies found present within Melanasia and the large and diverse hierarchical system within Polynesian polities. The reading

Culture is one of the most relevant elements that can define not only a society but also a country’s cumulative beliefs and system. Often noted as the origins of a country, culture is definitive in the sense that it harbors all the elements that can provide justification on the traditions and norms set by the society for its members. More often than not, the society members follow norms in order to create a harmonious community, and the beliefs and the traditions serve as the poles or grounding rules for each member to follow. Culture is very dynamic in the way that it can change over a variety of foreign influences but what is permanent about it is that original elements about it often lingers with the influences, therefore making it multi-faceted and broad. More importantly, culture serves as an individual and unique trait each society has, and therefore sets it apart from other countries and other societies.

The Hawaiian Islands are well known for their beauty, tranquility, and unique culture that have shaped this state into what we see today. The special bond that the natives have formed between themselves and nature is not exactly one of a kind, but it is something that can truly be admired. Around approximately 300 AD, Hawaii was discovered by Polynesians who arrived by canoe from Tahiti. These migrants brought their polytheistic spirituality and formed a large intricate society with hierarchies consisting of many chiefs. Alongside the ruling of the chiefs, the newborn Hawaiians followed a strict belief system known as Kapu akua otherwise known as the “law of the gods”. The Kapu was a strict set of rules and restraints that dictated all

Polynesian (Greek: ‘poly’ = many, ‘nēsoi’ = islands) is the predominant culture of the South Pacific region. Of many Polynesian cultures, the most famous is Hawaiian. Polynesian traditions evolved differently on other islands over the centuries, due to the isolation imposed by great distances between them.

The state of Hawaii, also known collectively as the Hawaiian Islands, has a long history regarding its development. From migration, to the development of producing goods as a way of bartering, to an eventual governed society, the modernization of Hawaii has an illustrious history. The people who impacted this and were part of creating a globalized look at Hawaii played a part into modernization the state. This paper will illustrate the modernization of this land and its westernization throughout the years.

When I think about the culture I come from, I immediately think about my Japanese and Filipino lineage. I also think about Hawaii, and how growing up there has shaped me today. This are only parts of the equation to my cultural identity. No matter what nationality or country you grow up in, each person is exposed to different ideals that mix in with their background culture. I would like to look at my cultural identity by looking at some traditions in Hawaii, the organizations I’ve been a part of, and my own unique personal identity. Each of these has played a role in shaping my own cultural identity.

The Creation of Hawaiian People and Their Islands Hawaiian mythlogy has numerous legends and a notable one is how Hawai’i and its people were created. The story refers to how people are connected to the land and it showcases one of the reasons why the urge to care for the land is so strong in the native Hawaiians. The way the myth is told shows that native Hawaiians literally considered the sky, earth and islands as respected elders. The Creation of Hawaiian People and Their Islands was originally an unwritten myth and itʻs a legend thatʻs heavily rooted in the fact that humans are connected to and need to take care of the land which is shown in this legend that contains love, deception, reconciliation, and death, in which can relate to many

This traditional society in Samoa and other Polynesian islands was based on the clan and the extended family, each of which had elders, chiefs and patriarchs. It was a collectivist and hierarchical society, not at all a democracy, in which the hereditary elites were the governing

The earliest people believed to come to the Hawaiian Islands were Polynesians from the Marquesas and they came between 500 and 750 A.D. Later, in 1000 A. D., the Tahiti came. The Tahiti brought over the belief in gods and social hierarchy, resulting in the hawaiian people following a Kapu system. In `1778, James cook, the first westerner to reach the Hawaiian Islands, paved the way for other explorers to come. James cook name the Islands the “Sandwich Islands” so show gratitude for the Earl of Sandwich. Cook dies a year later because of Hawaiian conflicts on Kealakekua Bay. In 1795, King Kamehameha led a campaign through the Hawaiian Islands, capturing and uniting all the islands under his monarchy in 1810. During his conquest, many ships anchored

Hawaiian Culture went through many rapid changes between the arrival of the first Europeans in the late 1700s and the fall of the Kingdom in 1893. With the quick transition from many Chiefdoms to a European styled monarchy, then lastly being enveloped by a larger democracy, the Hawaiian people experienced significant and sudden changes in their social relations of production. First a description of pre-kingdom Hawaii to the unifying conquests of the first Hawaiian king, Kamehameha, will be looked at analyzing the social relations of production. This is followed by a similar analysis of The Kingdom of Hawaii and how the social relations of production where effected by the conquest. The kahuna’s position in the relations of production will be

This history of the Island of Hawaii has it that the island is one of the few places in the world where people can see the origin of land. The culture practices and beliefs on the island explain

Polynesian societies and cultures have developed by living in a place hard to survive for centuries. Throughout these years the Polynesians have developed into a group of people with a strong sense of community. Many things have shaped the way the Polynesians developed. The country of origin for the Polynesians heavily influenced their own traditions and culture. When the Polynesians first settled in Polynesia their traditions most likely would have been the same as those of their country of origin.

It is not easy to define culture because culture is too broad a concept, can be both abstract and specific. However, what is agreed is culture covers all faces of our life as well as direct the way we behave, interact and communicate. (Liu et al., 2011). One popular definition is that “Culture is the total way of life of a group of people, comprising of the deposit of knowledge, experience, belief, values, traditions, religion, and notion of time, roles, spatial relations, worldviews, material objects and geographic territory”. (Liu et al., 2011, p.57). In this essay, I will analyse components and characteristics of culture, and based on that grounds, I will reflect on my own culture-being a Vietnamese. Dodd (1998) considered that culture is made up by three layers which consist of the core layer, the intermediate layer and the outer layer. I will examine what values and beliefs are considered important in my culture. Those are components of the inner core. Then, I will take some examples of the intermediate layer (expression of cultural activities by manifestation) such as communication patterns, customs and festivals.

The traditional concept of culture according to Welsch, characterized by reflecting one single ethnicity in a homogenous society that is isolated. Whelch refer to that concept as a “culture as an island”. That mean that the society contain only one set of characteristics and all the members demonstrate those set of rules in their actions and way of life. In addition, the culture is always a culture of one nation - the way we understand people actions is by attribute them to a

The following paper examines the history and religion of the ancient Maori people. It is my belief that exploration of traditional belief systems and ritualistic practices will lead to a greater understanding of the Maori culture in present-day New Zealand. The objective of the paper is to illustrate the Maoris’ unique perception and spiritual connection with their natural environment.