Tahiti Island RP

Location

Tahiti is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and the nearest major landmass is Australia. Divided into two parts, Tahiti Nui (bigger, northwestern part) and Tahiti Iti (smaller, southeastern part), the island was formed from volcanic activity; it is high and mountainous with surrounding coral reefs.

Leaderism

Clan leadership consisted of a chief (ariʻi rahi), nobles (ariʻi), and under-chiefs (ʻĪatoʻai). The ariʻi were also the religious leaders, revered for the mana (spiritual power) they inherited as descendants of the gods. As symbols of their power, they wore belts of red feathers. Nonetheless, to exercise their political power, councils or general assemblies composed of the ariʻi and the ʻĪatoʻai had to be called, especially in case of war. The chief's spiritual power was also limited; each clan's practice was organized around their marae (stone temple) and its priests.

Religion and beliefs

Four main gods were venerated on the Society Islands: Taʻaroa, originally the god of the sea and fishing, Tane, god of the forest and handicrafts, Tu, the old god of war and Roʻo, god of agricultural products and the weather. These main gods were also venerated on the other Polynesian islands.

Culture

Tahitian cultures included an oral tradition that involved the mythology of gods, such as ʻOro and beliefs, as well as ancient traditions such as tattooing and navigation.

ʻŌteʻa dance

One of the most widely recognised images of the islands is the world-famous Tahitian dance. The ʻōteʻa (sometimes written as otea) is a traditional dance from Tahiti, where the dancers, standing in several rows, execute figures. This dance, easily recognised by its fast hip-shaking and grass skirts.

Music

The ʻōteʻa is one of the few dances which existed in pre-European times as a male dance. On the other hand, the hura (Tahitian vernacular for hula), a dance for women, has disappeared, and the couple's dance ʻupaʻupa is likewise gone but may have re-emerged as the tamure. Nowadays, the ʻōteʻa can be danced by men (ʻōteʻa tāne), by women (ʻōteʻa vahine), or by both genders (ʻōteʻa ʻāmui, "united ʻō"). The dance is with music only, drums, but no singing. The drum can be one of the types of the tōʻere, a laying log of wood with a longitudinal slit, which is struck by one or two sticks. Or it can be the pahu, the ancient Tahitian standing drum covered with a shark skin and struck by the hands or with sticks. The rhythm from the tōʻere is fast; from the pahu it is slower. A smaller drum, the faʻatete, can also be used.

Tahitian dancers cloth

Tahitian dancers wear weighted hip belts, they make the dancers hips look bigger then what they really are, and improves core strength, endurance and balance. If not portraying a symbol of life, the dance may challenge an enemy, seduce a mate, flirt or just dancing for joy. The Tahitian dancers wear anything from grass skirts to the same style pareus as brides. They also wear giant feathered head dresses or floral crowns.

Marriage

In a traditional Tahitian wedding, the bride will dress in either a coconut shell top and a pareus tied around the hips, or a pareus tied in halter style. The pareus is typically white. The groom is often bare chested and also wears a white pareus. A traditional Tahitian tattoo is painted on his arm or shoulder. Both the bride and groom wear floral leis and crowns. These symbolize harmony.

Clothing

Clothing was traditionally made from tapa cloth, which consisted of dried pandanus leaves, coconut fibers, and breadfruit bark. The local women at that time wore one single garment, called a pareo, wrapped around their waist. In Tahiti, tapa was important as clothing as well as having ceremonial importance. The most common Tahitian barkcloth garment was the ‘tiputa’, a rectangular piece of tapa with a hole in the centre like a poncho. Tahitians call tapa ‘ahu’. This ‘tiputa’ was made of Broussonetia papyrifera or paper mulberry bark, which is used to produce the highest quality cloth worn by chiefs and nobles.