Polynesia: Sociopolitical Evolution

Abstract

In this chapter, the evolution of the Polynesian culture is discussed. The developments in the main islands and in some atolls are described. The developments start when some people—the Lapita—from Melanesia make the voyage to the Tonga–Samoa islands. Here, gradually the ancestral Polynesian culture develops. From this beginning, the Polynesian culture is spread over the oceanic world. The following islands are discussed: Samoa, Tonga, Tahiti, the Marquises, Hawai’i, Easter Island, and of the atolls were selected the Tokelau Islands, Puka Puka, and Raroia. In each case, the developments were followed till the colonization by Western countries: Germany, England, France, and the United States. Where this happened the development of Polynesian culture came to an end. In order to explain the developments on the islands the complex interaction model was used. With the help of this model, it could be established that the basic factor for social change on these islands and atolls was the societal format (the number of people in relation to the surface of arable land).