AWA: Academic Writing at Auckland

Pacific Islanders today live very different lives to those of their parents and ancestors in the past. Pacific Island societies have consistently evolved from the time they discovered their home islands, and continued to change during the nineteenth and twentieth century. The elements of change in Pacific Island societies during this period were fundamentally driven by European influences. This essay will attempt to explore three significant developments that influenced the lives of Pacific people during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. First, the arrival of Christianity will be explored with close reference to its impact on Tonga. Second, the introduction of Education in Polynesia will be examined highlighting the influence of Missionaries. Third, the consequences of trade in Polynesia will be reviewed underlining social changes. Pacific tradition, beliefs, and way of life will be discussed briefly and parallels or contrasts will be accentuated portraying the impact of these changes on Pacific people and their traditional way of living.

Missionaries during the nineteenth century had strong motivations to save souls, and set out to save heathen people. Missionaries declared it was their duty to share the gospel, it was considered the most important work anyone could do (Campbell, 2003:79). According to Lal and Fortune (2000:177) "the salvation of the immortal soul was not the point of traditional Pacific religions" as was the Christian message. Pacific religion was primarily based on attaining spiritual power (Lal and Fortune, 2000:177). Prior to Christian influence Tonga was a firm heathen nation. Like many Pacific islanders they worshipped deities. Their religious beliefs encompassed Chiefs with supernatural power granted by the gods. Death, disease, famine, and war were perceived as punishment from the gods', emerging from failure to respect and perform duties to deities (Lal and Fortune 2000: 175-179). Sacrifices and offerings to gods' were also common practice. (Ahio, 2007:30). Despite distinctive religious beliefs that were evident in the Pacific, Polynesians embraced Christianity. King George Taufa'ahau Tupou I actions support this statement. In 1839 he dedicated his people, posterity and country to God (Ahio, 2007:30-35). Christianity led to the acceptance of new world views. In contrast to traditional religious beliefs Christianity emphasized the idea that individuals were accountable for their own salvation and must live moral principles (Lal et al, 2000:201), such as monogamous marriages which conflicted with polygamous traditions. Christian sects highlighted the relationship between God and an individual. Their doctrine conveyed the notion that individuals are responsible for "their personal relationship with God" (Lal et al, 2000:201).

Campbell (2011:201) stated "Christianity had been established for three to four generations and had been entrenched as tradition" in some areas of the Pacific. The Tongan nation is substantial evidence of this. The influence of Christianity established new ethos and way of life for Tongan people (Campbell, 2011:203). After the king's conversion and baptism, he successfully developed a Code of Law and the Constitution of Tonga in 1875 to prevent colonisation, both were founded on Christian morals. The king sought guidance from the scriptures and the Wesleyan Missionaries specifically Shirley Baker (Campbell, 2003:94). Consequently, Tonga developed from an uncivilised society, to a modern one by adopting Western concepts such as social order and accepting Christianity. Today, Christianity remains imperative to Tongan Society. Churches are the largest village buildings. Ahio (2007:29-38) summarized, practices of established churches are entwined with Tongan beliefs and values such as strict Sabbath day observance. Individuals devote resources' to their churches and an individual's association with a church essentially defines their identity.

Education throughout Polynesia was profoundly influenced by the arrival of Missionaries in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The first system of public education were the missions, Missionaries served in. Linnekin (cited in Denoon, Firth, Linnekin, Meleisea, and Nero, 1997:201) professed, education was "part of the Missionaries mandate". Missionaries and their wives taught Polynesian people to read and write in an attempt to Christianise and civilise them (Denoon, Firth, Linneken, Meleisea, and Nero, 1997:201). However, Campbell summarized, Missionary aims coincided with the desire islanders had to learn European abilities and skills to enhance or alter their own (2003:79). The power of knowledge appealed to islanders (Denoon, Firth, Linneken, Meleisea, and Nero, 1997:201). They were zealous about education and yearned to prosper like the white man. Education was associated with European technology, food, money, tools, apparel, luxury, character and power in the Polynesian mind (Lockwood, Harding, and Wallace, 2003:399). Seminary institutes were established by missions throughout Polynesia. In Tonga, Tupou College opened in 1866 to prepare men to fulfil key positions in Churches and the State (Denoon, Firth, Linneken, Meleisea, and Nero, 1997:202). Advanced education in Hawaii shaped a generation of multilingual and bicultural islanders. Their advantage dealing with foreigners was cultural understanding. Consequently, as a result of becoming learned and accustomed to European civilisation, Polynesians established a European outlook. Educated individuals slowly descended from communal conformity. Schoeffel (cited in Howe, Kiste, and Lal, 2004:361) mentioned, Polynesians in collective societies began to seek individualistic goals, to attain a good education, acquire good employment and make decent wages, this summarized the ideal of a good life. This became a common mind-set for most Polynesian people through the twentieth century to date, a vast contrast from the past. Many islanders migrated to urban areas or overseas to Western Societies to achieve an improved life with greater vocational and educational opportunities.

Polynesian societies were staunch oral nations preceding the nineteenth century. Prior to missionary arrival written languages were non-existent (Campbell, 2011:87). Tradition, history, genealogy, customs and culture were passed down to generations in an oral manner such as storytelling, songs and chants. This changed drastically when Missionaries set out to civilise Pacific people. Campbell (2011:87) proclaimed Missionaries abridged Pacific languages to written form by categorizing them in to sound systems. Missionaries serving in Tahiti established the components for all Pacific languages and invented alphabets to preserve Pacific culture. All missionaries profited from this work and espoused the same spelling conventions to translate scriptures for Pacific people to learn the word (Campbell, 2011:87-90). Subsequently, these remarkable missionary achievements aided Polynesian people to learn the Christian doctrine and communicate, document and preserve indigenous knowledge. The revolution of written languages meant knowledge could be shared with posterity and the world. History, genealogy, tradition, values, languages and culture could pass from one generation to another in oral and written form. In the early nineteenth century written form referred to books, journals, maps and art work. In the late nineteenth and twentieth century technological developments exposed Pacific culture through film, television, social media forums and the internet.

A tradition that began as inter island trade amongst Pacific Islanders across the Pacific later developed into global trade during the nineteenth and twentieth century. Hiri trade is an example of inter-island trade that occurred between islanders, in New Guinea and Papua New Guinea (Lal and Fortune, 2000:139-140). Traditionally, trade connected two language groups in ceremonial, political and economic exchange. Hiri trade incorporated clay pots, armlets and stone axes from Port Moresby to be exchanged for sago, tobacco and betelnut. However, European contact transformed trade across the Pacific. Howard and Borofsky affirm "trade of all kinds was a mechanism of change" especially in Polynesian society (1989: 282). Basic island resources such as Bech-de-mer, sandal wood, whaling, fur and eventually the labour trade attracted Europeans to the area. Westerners relied on Polynesian people for resources and observed their contractual terms in the early stages of trade (Howard and Borofsky, 1989:282). Nonetheless, increased trade contact led to dependency on Westerners for supplies (Howard & Borofsky, 1989:283) including muskets, powder, nails, and hoop iron. Trade evolved in to the provisioning trade era known as the first commerce in the Pacific (Campbell 2003:68). Campbell stated "commerce integrated local systems with global ones and the world of unconnected regions came to an end" (2011:73). Trade with the Pacific developed in to a global affair. The new era not only changed the face of trade throughout the Pacific it opened the door to unexpected social change amongst Pacific societies. Populations declined as men migrated to the islands and infertility and death rates scaled. Mixed heritage was the result of prostitution. Chiefs abused their power and exploited islanders for business. Some chiefs became indebted to foreigners and experienced political independence and humiliation. Generally speaking, islanders suffered diminished well-being, joy, and social, economic and political independence.

To conclude, Christianity, education and trade in the nineteenth and twentieth century shaped the way Pacific Islanders think, act and live in the world today. Many Pacific traditions have been intertwined with Christian values and principles, others completely forgone. Education is still perceived as the key to a successful life and many island families continue to emigrate to Western societies to attain it. Pacific islanders have learnt to live and survive in Western worlds at the expense of compromising even neglecting traditional world views to accommodate western ones. Many collective cultures today encourage individualism. Trade is still a global force which contributes to pacific economies, however pacific islanders have developed laws for social order and have improved access to medical treatment.

Reference List

Primary Source:

Ellis, W., 1969, Polynesian Researches Polynesia. Japan: Charles E. Tuttle Co.Inc

Secondary Sources:

Ahio, F. 2007. Christianity and Taufa'ahau in Tonga: 1800-1850. Melanesian Journal of Theology. Available: http://biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/mjt/23-1_22.pdf. [9 April 2016]

Campbell, I.C. 2003, Worlds Apart A History of The Pacific Islands. New Zealand: Canterbury University Press

Campbell, I.C, 2011, Worlds Apart A History of The Pacific Islands. Second Edition. New Zealand: Canterbury University Press

Denoon, D., Firth, S., Linneken, J., Meleisea, M & Nero, K. 1997, The Cambridge History of The Pacific Islanders. United Kingdom: The Press Syndicate of The University of Cambridge.

Howard, A & Kirk Patrick, J. 1989, Social Organization, in Developments in Polynesian Ethnology. Edited by Alan. Howard & Robert Borofsky. USA: University of Hawaa Press: 47-94

Linneken, J., 1997, Words in the word, in The Cambridge History of The Pacific Islanders. Edited by Denoon, D., Firth, s., Linneken, J., Meleisea, M & Nero, K. United Kingdom: The Press Syndicate of The University of Cambridge: 200-204

Lockwood, V.S., Harding, T.G & Wallace, B.J. 1993, Contemporary Pacific Societies Studies in Development and Change. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Class Reading Selections:

Howe, K.R., Kiste, R.C & Lal, B.V. 1994, Pre-Colonial Times in Tides of history; the Pacifc Islands in the twentieth century. Edited by Howe, K.R., Kiste, R.C & Lal, B.V. University of Hawaii Press: 3-28

Lal, B.V & Fortune, K. 2000, Indigenous Chiefly Systems and Titles and Trade in The Pacific Islands; an encyclopedia. Edited by Lal, B.V & Fortune, K. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press: 132-147

Lal, B.V & Fortune, K. 2000, Religion and Christianity in The Pacific Islands; an encyclopedia. Edited by Lal, B.V & Fortune, K. Honolulu: University pf Hawaii Press: 175-201

Schoeffel, P. 1994, Social Change in Tides of History: Pacific Islands in the Twentieth Century, ed. Edited by Howe, K.R., Kiste, R.C., & Lal, B.V. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press:350-76