Polynesians include the Māori, Native Hawaiians, Rapa Nui, Samoans, Tahitians, Tokelauans, Niueans, Cook Islands Māori and Tongans. They are referred to as Pacific Islanders. Researcher Seini Taufa criticised the names Pacific Islander or Polynesian as degrading. Polynesia means ‘many islands’ in Greek. Māori arrived in New Zealand in the 1300s. Genetics suggests Polynesians are large due to inheritance. The Polynesian Triangle links Hawaii, Easter Island and New Zealand. Polynesians are Austronesian peoples. Tahitians and Samoans believed mana was sacred power in nature. Polynesians began migrating eastward from Tonga-Samoa around 600 AD. Polynesians made double canoes from two hulls. Kanaloa is a Hawaiian god symbolized by the squid or octopus.
Clarifying Identity
Are Samoan and Polynesian the same?
Samoans and other groups such as Tongans, Cook Islands Māori, Niueans, and Hawaiian Mā’ohi are all considered Polynesians.
What groups of people are Polynesian?
Polynesians are an ethnolinguistic group native to Polynesia, which is part of the Pacific Ocean. They trace their origins to Southeast Asia and are Austronesians originally from Taiwan. The Polynesian Triangle links Hawaii, Easter Island, and New Zealand. Māori arrived in New Zealand in the 1300s.
- Samoans
- Tongans
- Cook Islands Māori
- Hawaiian Mā’ohi
- Melanesians (often called Polynesians)
- Micronesians (often called Polynesians)
- Niueans
- Tokelauans
- Rapa Nui
- Native Hawaiians
- Māori
Kanaloa is a Hawaiian god, and Polynesia, deriving its name from Greek, means ‘many islands’. Researcher Seini Taufa criticised the use of the names Pacific Islander or Polynesian as potentially degrading. Polynesians are also commonly known as Pacific Islanders.