South Pacific Travel

Heiva Festival, July, 2016

During our visit to Tahiti, we had the privilege of attending “Heiva”, the 122 year old annual festival, in the city of Papeete. Each of the regional schools brought their troops of dancers, displaying their skillful artform as a result of the hours of planning and rehearsal required for the competition. Additional crafts displays featuring handmade elaborately designed statues, clocks, cultural symbols, and more were offered for sale. Several sporting events with highly skilled competitors were offered for the many visitors attending.

Tahiti Early History

Southeast Asia migration to the Pacific Islands led to settlment of Samoa and Tonga close to 1300 BC, with subsequent exploration and settlement to the Marquessas Islands around about 200 BC. Migration and settlement of the Tahitian Islans ensued during the subsequent centuries. European exploration followed in the 1500’s, when Magellan and Mendana Tuamotu Atolls (also known as the atoll of Pukapuka).  Just before 1700, Samual Wallis became the first UK explorer to visit Tahiti island on his way to finding terra australis incognita, south of the equator. Wallis named the tropical island “King Georg III Island” and placed England’s claim to the territory. Shortly after, French explorer Louis-Antoine de Bougainville landed and claimed the opposite shore of the island for the King of France.

Tahiti Recent History

Mutiny on the H.M.S. Bounty, entailing Captian Bligh’s rough sailing and the captivating people and environment began to establish a growing curiosity among the Europeans, further by the efforts of Captain James Cook who sampled, illustrated and mapped the South Pacific islands. In the 1800’s whalers, British missionaries, and French military interacted not always in a friendly manner, resulting in an ongoing political battle over control of the island of Tahiti.  Queen Pomare ruled Tahiti until 1847 when French protection was finally acknowledged for Tahiti and Moorea. The death of the Queen in 1880 was followed by King Pomare V’s ceding Tahiti and some of the surrounding islands to France.  The Tahitian islands were incorporated into the territory known today as French Polynesia. In 1984 ,Tahiti became autonomous, and in 1998, French Polynesia was established as a self-governing nation.