Pacific Islanders , Pasifika , Pasefika , Pacificans , or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands . As an ethnic / racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas —of any of the three major subregions of Oceania ( Melanesia , Micronesia , and Polynesia ) or any other island located in the Pacific Ocean.
60-639: South Sea Islanders , formerly referred to as Kanakas , are the Australian descendants of Pacific Islanders from more than 80 islands – including the Oceanian archipelagoes of the Solomon Islands , New Caledonia , Vanuatu , Fiji , the Gilbert Islands , and New Ireland – who were kidnapped or recruited between the mid to late 19th century as labourers in
120-546: A "cross-roads of the Pacific — a racial and geographic link connecting Oceania, Southeast Asia and Indonesia ." Debate exists over whether or not the Philippines should be categorized with Pacific Islands of shared Austronesian origin or with the mainland nations of Asia. The islands of the Philippines do not have oceanic geology, and instead sit on the continental shelf of Asia. As such, they are sometimes deemed as
180-737: A Government Savings Bank account. The majority were repatriated by the Australian Government in the period between 1906 and 1908 under the Pacific Island Labourers Act 1901 , a piece of legislation related to the White Australia policy . There was resistance to repatriation, and controversy regarding the manner in which it was done. Those exempted from repatriation, along with a number of others who escaped deportation, remained in Australia to form
240-574: A Polynesian race. Beyond her own sphere of association, New Zealand's trading influence is prominent in Tonga, Fiji and other areas of the Pacific with Commonwealth affiliations." Regarding Australia, he further wrote, "Australia plays a leading economic role in the south-west Pacific area — commonly known as Melanesia. Fiji, the New Hebrides , the Solomons, even French-controlled New Caledonia have
300-469: A few hundred years after their discoveries, and initially were sometimes used as prisons for convicts. Today only a small number of them are inhabited, mainly by Spanish -speaking mainlanders of mestizo or White Latin American origin. These individuals are not considered Pacific Islanders under the standard ethnically based definition. In a broad sense, they could still possibly be seen as encompassing
360-827: A geological extension of Asia. In his 2012 book Encyclopedia of Diversity in Education , American author James A. Banks claimed that, "although islands such as the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia , Taiwan, Japan and the Aleutian Islands are located in the Pacific Ocean, islanders from these locales are not typically considered Pacific Islanders. They are usually considered Asian, with Aleuts considered Alaskan natives." Thus, because proximity does not determine ethnicity, only through defined connections such as Maori(Polynesian) and Rapa Nui natives(Polynesian) it has to be evident that "islands" although nearby to Oceana,
420-479: A major trade connection with Australia. The thriving little republic of Nauru was administered by Australia before its recent independence. Further afield, in western Polynesia, Australia provides economic and technical aid in Tonga and Western Samoa. Much of Fiji's tourist trade comes from 'down under'. Among the oceanic islands which are part of the Commonwealth of Australia are Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island,
480-590: A small Spanish-speaking segment of Oceania , along with the Easter Island inhabitants, who were eventually colonized by Chileans . The 1996 book Atlas of Languages of Intercultural Communication in the Pacific, Asia, and the Americas notes that Spanish was once commonly spoken in the Pacific on the colonial-era Philippines , further stating, "at the present time, the Spanish language is not widely used in
540-466: Is a direct descendant of Australian South Sea Islanders (ASSI), people who were forcibly brought to Australia at the turn of the century as indentured labour [REDACTED] This Misplaced Pages article incorporates text from Sugar slaves (15 April 2021) published by the State Library of Queensland under CC BY licence , accessed on 19 May 2021. Pacific Islander Melanesians include
600-830: Is a prominent visual artist. For many years, Queensland's South Sea Islander communities sought acknowledgement for past treatment, and recognition as a distinct cultural group. After decades of community advocacy, the Commonwealth Government finally recognised that distinction on August 25, 1994. State Library of Queensland holds several collections pertaining to the history of Australian South Sea Islanders in Queensland, two significant collections pertain to their long fight for recognition. The Australian South Sea Islanders United Council Records 1975-2008, 2021 (Acc. 28617) includes documents, research papers, photographs, recorded interviews and other material relating to
660-465: Is difficult to evaluate and also controversial. Official documents and accounts from the period often conflict with the oral tradition passed down to the descendants of workers. Stories of blatantly violent kidnapping tend to relate to the first ten or so years of the trade. With time, owing to intermarriage, many Australian South Sea Islanders also claim a mixed ancestry, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, along with immigrants from
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#1732780250343720-643: Is now commonly spoken in a bilingual manner, with some having race-mixed with Mestizo Chilean settlers. However, the inhabitants consider their island and its culture to be Polynesian, and do not view themselves as South Americans. The population of the Pacific Islands is concentrated in Papua New Guinea , New Zealand (which has a majority of people of European descent ), Hawaii, Fiji, and Solomon Islands . Most Pacific Islands are densely populated, and habitation tends to be concentrated along
780-575: Is one of the only other habitable oceanic islands to have had no contact with humans prior to European discovery. The island is currently administered by Australia, and Its residents are primarily European Australians who originated from the mainland, with a small number also being Asian Australians . Like with the Spanish-speaking islanders in the southeastern Pacific, they would not normally be considered Pacific Islanders under an ethnically based definition. Remote and uninhabitable islands in
840-837: Is the daughter of land rights campaigner Eddie Mabo and educator and activist Bonita Mabo . She was formerly a dancer and choreographer . Mabo was born in 1965, the daughter of Eddie and Bonita Mabo. She is of the Piadram language group and clan of Mer (Murray Island), an island of the Torres Strait Islands group, which is part of Queensland , Australia. She attended the first school for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Townsville , which had been opened by her father. Mabo attended Kingscliff TAFE in Sydney from 1998 to 2003, and from 2004 went to
900-830: The Barrier Reef Institute of TAFE in North Queensland , achieving a Certificate IV in Visual Arts in 2005, followed by a Diploma of Visual Arts in 2007. She studied dance at the Aboriginal Islander Dance Theatre in Sydney from 1984 to 1987. Before beginning her studies in art, Mabo had a career in dance, choreography , and acting. Her performing credits include Tracey Moffat 's short films Nice Coloured Girls (actor) and Watch Out (dancer and choreographer), and
960-1006: The Coral Sea Islands , the Desventuradas Islands , Guadalupe Island , the Juan Fernández Islands, the Revillagigedo Islands, Salas y Gómez Island and the Torres Strait Islands . He notes that the terms are sometimes taken to include Australia, New Zealand and the non-oceanic Papua New Guinea, however he does not consider them to encompass the Japanese archipelago , the Ryukyu Islands , Taiwan , Russia's Kuril Islands and Sakhalin Island or countries associated with Maritime Southeast Asia . The Philippines according to him are at
1020-822: The Louisiade Archipelago , the Admiralty Islands , Bougainville Island , Papua New Guinea , Western New Guinea (part of Indonesia ), Maluku Island , Aru Islands , Kei Islands , the Santa Cruz Islands (part of the Solomon Islands), Loyalty Islands (part of New Caledonia) and various smaller islands. East Timor , while considered to be geographically Southeast Asian , is still generally accepted as being ethnoculturally part of Melanesia. The Torres Strait Islands are politically part of nearby Queensland , Australia, although
1080-642: The Māori , are Polynesians, and thus considered Pacific Islanders. Australia's Indigenous population are loosely related to Melanesians and the United States Census categorize them under the Pacific Islander American umbrella. In Island Realm: A Pacific Panorama (1974), Ian Todd states that, "New Zealand is uniquely gifted in its role as a Polynesian associate. A large section of its own indigenous population consists of Māori —
1140-544: The New Zealand Māori (New Zealand), Native Hawaiians (Hawaii), Rapa Nui ( Easter Island ), Samoans ( Samoa and American Samoa ), Tahitians (Tahiti), Tokelauans ( Tokelau ), Niueans ( Niue ), Cook Islands Māori ( Cook Islands ), Tongans ( Tonga ), Wallisians, and Futunans ( Wallis and Futuna ). The term Pasifika was first used in New Zealand to designate the non-indigenous ethnic groups arriving from
1200-507: The New Zealand Māori , who are also Polynesian but are indigenous to New Zealand. In the 2013 New Zealand census , 7.4% of the New Zealand population identified with one or more Pacific ethnic groups, although 62.3% of these were born in New Zealand. Those with a Samoan background make up the largest proportion, followed by Cook Islands Māori , Tongan , and Niuean . Some smaller island populations such as Niue and Tokelau have
1260-646: The Queensland Parliament , was the first South Sea Islander to be elected to parliament. Federal MP Terry Young 's grandfather was a South Sea Islander. Another area Australian South Sea Islanders have excelled in is sport, especially the game of rugby league . Australian international representatives Sam Backo , Mal Meninga , Gorden Tallis and Wendell Sailor are all members of the Australian South Sea Islander community. Gail Mabo , daughter of Bonita and Eddie Mabo,
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#17327802503431320-716: The United States Minor Outlying Islands , Vanuatu and Wallis and Futuna . The 1982 edition of the South Pacific Handbook , by David Stanley, groups Australia, New Zealand, Norfolk Island and the islands of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia under the more restrictive label of the "South Pacific Islands", even though Hawaii and most islands in Micronesia technically lie in the North Pacific. He additionally includes
1380-554: The sugarcane fields of Queensland . Some were kidnapped or tricked (or " blackbirded ") into long-term indentured service. At its height, the recruiting accounted for over half the adult male population of some islands. Under the Polynesian Labourers Act 1868 (Qld), recruited labour was indentured for three years in exchange for a small wage of £6 per year as well as rations, accommodation and clothing. Employers were required to deposit their employees wages into
1440-523: The 16th century up until the end of World War II . Several of the island groups have since developed financially crucial political alignments with the United States. Nauru's main political partner since World War I has been Australia, excluding a brief period of Japanese occupation in World War II. The Polynesian islands are scattered across a triangle covering the east-central region of
1500-576: The 1980s, the United States Census Bureau grouped persons of Asian ancestry and created the category " Asian-Pacific Islander ," which continued in the 1990s census. In 2000, " Asian " and " Pacific Islander " became two separate racial categories. According to the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program (PEP), a " Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander " is, A person having origins in any of
1560-585: The 1991 Sydney production of Jimmy Chi 's Bran Nue Dae . In 2005 she directed Koiki , a stage performance based on the life of her father. Her work has since been exhibited in institutions across the country in both solo and group exhibitions. She is a founding member of the Murris in Ink artist collective, a group of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists in North Queensland. In 2014, Mabo
1620-485: The Cook Islands, Niue, and French Polynesia in the 20th and 21st centuries. The umbrella terms Pacific Islands and Pacific Islanders may also take on several other meanings. At times, the term Pacific Islands only refers to islands within the cultural regions of Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia, and to tropical islands with oceanic geology in general, such as Clipperton Island . In some common uses,
1680-682: The Fijians (Fiji), Kanaks ( New Caledonia ), Ni-Vanuatu ( Vanuatu ), Papua New Guineans ( Papua New Guinea ), Solomon Islanders ( Solomon Islands ), West Papuans (Indonesia's West Papua ) and Moluccans (Indonesia's Maluku Islands ). Micronesians include the Carolinians ( Caroline Islands ), Chamorros ( Guam and Northern Mariana Islands ), Chuukese ( Chuuk ), I-Kiribati ( Kiribati ), Kosraeans ( Kosrae ), Marshallese ( Marshall Islands ), Palauans ( Palau ), Pohnpeians ( Pohnpei ), and Yapese ( Yap ). Polynesians include
1740-535: The Galápagos Islands in his definition of the South Pacific, but does not include any other islands located within the southeastern Pacific area, aside from Easter Island which is considered part of Polynesia. Ian Todd's 1974 book Island Realm: A Pacific Panorama considers Oceania and the term "Pacific Islands" to also encompass the non-tropical Aleutian Islands , as well as Clipperton Island,
1800-632: The Pacific Islands Forum, as they are primarily inhabited by Polynesian peoples. Japan and Malay Archipelago countries such as East Timor, Indonesia and the Philippines are dialogue partners of the Pacific Islands Forum, with East Timor having observer status, but none are full members. The nations of the Malay Archipelago have their own regional governing organization called ASEAN , which includes mainland Southeast Asian nations such as Vietnam and Thailand . In July 2019, at
1860-830: The Pacific Ocean. The triangle is bound by the Hawaiian Islands in the north, New Zealand in the west, and Easter Island in the east. The rest of Polynesia includes the Samoan islands ( American Samoa and Samoa [formerly Western Samoa]); Cook Islands ; French Polynesia (the Society Islands [ Tahiti ], Marquesas Islands , Austral Islands , and Tuamotu ); Niue Island ; Tokelau and Tuvalu ; Tonga ; Wallis and Futuna ; Rotuma Island ; Pitcairn Island ; Nukuoro ; and Kapingamarangi . The majority of island groups are most closely aligned to New Zealand /Australia, with others being politically aligned to France or
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1920-1058: The South Pacific Islands and European Australians . Blackbirded and recruited islanders were generally referred to as Kanakas (from "man" in Hawaiian ). However many Islander descendants now regard the term as pejorative and an insulting reminder of their ancestors' exploitation at the hands of white Australians, and it is now regarded in Australian English as an offensive term. In recent generations, facing many similar forms of discrimination in Australia as Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders, Australian South Sea Islanders have been prominent figures in civil rights and politics. Faith Bandler , Evelyn Scott , and Bonita Mabo (widow of Eddie Mabo ) are prominent Indigenous activists who are also descendants of South Sea Island plantation workers. Stephen Andrew , who represents Katter's Australian Party in
1980-609: The South Pacific, being unknown outside of a handful of places. Spanish is spoken by a resident population only on the Ecuadorian Galápagos Islands, the Chilean possessions of Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Juan Fernández Islands and a few other tiny islands. Most Pacific insular possessions of Latin American nations are either unpopulated or used as military outposts, staffed by natives of the mainland." Lord Howe Island , located between Australia and New Zealand,
2040-865: The Torres Strait Islands, the Willis Group and Coringa Islands ." The Pacific islands consist of three main traditional regions. Melanesia is the great arc of islands located north and east of Australia and south of the Equator. The name derives the Greek words melas ('black') and nēsos ('island') for the predominantly dark-skinned peoples of New Guinea island, the Bismarck Archipelago , Solomon Islands , Vanuatu (formerly New Hebrides ), New Caledonia , and Fiji . In addition those places listed above, Melanesia includes
2100-1041: The United Kingdom, with the United States having had little impact on the region. Micronesia includes Kiribati , Nauru , the Marianas ( Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands ), the Republic of the Marshall Islands , Palau , and the Federated States of Micronesia ( Yap , Chuuk , Pohnpei , and Kosrae , all in the Caroline Islands ). The islands were under the influence of colonial powers such as Germany, Spain and Japan from
2160-497: The United States. Hawaii is geographically isolated from Polynesia, and is situated in the North Pacific, unlike the rest of Polynesia, which is in the South Pacific. They are still a part of the subregion for ethnocultural reasons. Easter Island is located in a remote part of the Pacific which is thousands of kilometers removed from both Polynesia and the South American continent. It was annexed by Chile in 1888, and Spanish
2220-459: The aforementioned Pacific nations, excluding New Zealand itself; this term, when used in New Zealand, does not encompass the indigenous Māori people . Auckland in New Zealand has the world's largest concentration of urban Pacific Islanders living outside of their own countries, and is sometimes referred to as the "Polynesian capital of the world." This came as result of a steady stream of immigration from Polynesian countries such as Samoa, Tonga,
2280-566: The basis of what is today Australia's largest non-indigenous black ethnic group. Today, the descendants of those who remained are officially referred to as South Sea Islanders. A 1992 census of South Sea Islanders reported around 10,000 descendants living in Queensland. Fewer than 3,500 were reported in the 2001 Australian census. The question of how many Islanders were "blackbirded" is unknown and remains controversial. The extent to which Islanders were recruited legally, persuaded, deceived, coerced or forced to leave their homes and travel to Queensland
2340-488: The central Pacific such as Baker Island were also generally isolated from humans prior to European discovery. However, Pacific Islanders are believed to have possibly visited some of these locations, including Wake Island . In the case of Howland Island , there may have even been a brief attempt at settlement. The Official Journal of the Asia Oceania Geosciences Society (AOGS) considers
2400-425: The coasts. Melanesians constitute over three quarters of the total indigenous population of the Pacific Islands; Polynesians account for more than one-sixth; and Micronesians make up about one-twentieth. Several hundred distinct languages are spoken in the Pacific Islands. In ethnolinguistic terms, the Pacific islanders of Oceania are divided into two different ethnic classifications : In Australia ,
2460-508: The easternmost oceanic island with any human inhabitation was Easter Island , settled by the Polynesian Rapa Nui people. Oceanic islands beyond that which neighbor Central America and South America ( Galápagos , Revillagigedo , Juan Fernández Islands etc.) are among the last inhabitable places on earth to have been discovered by humans. All of these islands (excluding Clipperton ) were annexed by Latin American nations
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2520-662: The generations. It is important for navigation , and seen as a man in the constellation of the Southern Cross, with his left hand pointing south. Her interactive 2021 exhibition, House of Cards , was held at the Umbrella gallery in Townsville , and explored Mabo's home, memories and family relationships. Mabo has been experimenting with cast bronze , empowered by her 2021 residency at Urban Art Projects. She has also worked with schools in New South Wales as
2580-543: The inaugural Indonesian Exposition held in Auckland , Indonesia launched its 'Pacific Elevation' program, which would encompass a new era of elevated engagement with the region, with the country also using the event to lay claim that Indonesia is culturally and ethnically linked to the Pacific islands. The event was attended by dignitaries from Australia, New Zealand and some Pacific island countries. Australia and New Zealand have been described as both continental landmasses and as Pacific Islands. New Zealand's native population,
2640-439: The inhabitants are considered to be Melanesians rather than Indigenous Australians . This is not the case with other Australian islands that were inhabited by Indigenous peoples prior to European discovery, such as Fraser Island , Great Palm Island and the Tiwi Islands . The Torres Strait Islands could be seen as a Melanesian territory in Australasia , similar to how East Timor is a Melanesian territory in Asia. Norfolk Island
2700-789: The inhabitants though distantly connected by similarities in language and practices similar to Melanesians, Micronesians and Polynesians are to be considered Southeast Asian, such as the Philippines. The Pacific Islands Forum is the major governing organization for the Pacific Islands, and has been labelled as the " EU of the Pacific region". Up until 2021, its member nations and associate members were American Samoa, Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Wallis and Futuna. Additionally, there have been pushes for Easter Island and Hawaii to join
2760-537: The islands of New Zealand situated in the Pacific Ocean beyond the Commonwealth [of Australia] as constituted at the commencement of this Act. Despite this, Pacific Islanders were generally held in a much higher regard than Indigenous Australians were during the early 20th century. In 2008, a "Pacific Seasonal Worker Pilot Scheme" was announced as a three-year pilot experiment . It provides visas for workers from Kiribati , Tonga , Vanuatu , and Papua New Guinea to work in Australia. Aside from Papua New Guinea,
2820-438: The largest in this group. There are at least 39 different Pacific Island languages spoken as a second language in the American home. [REDACTED] Africa [REDACTED] Eurasia [REDACTED] North America [REDACTED] Oceania [REDACTED] South America Gail Mabo Gail Mabo (born 1965) is an Australian visual artist who has had her work exhibited across Australia. She
2880-422: The majority of their nationals living in New Zealand. To celebrate the diverse Pacific island cultures, the Auckland Region hosts several Pacific island festivals. Two of the major ones are Polyfest, which showcases performances of the secondary school cultural groups in the region, and Pasifika , a festival that celebrates Pacific island heritage through traditional food, music, dance, and entertainment. By
2940-512: The original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands. Eight out of 10 Pacific Islanders in the United States are native to the United States. Polynesians make up the largest group, including Native Hawaiians, Samoans, Tahitians , and Tongans . Micronesians make up the second largest, including primarily Chamoru from Guam; as well as other Chamoru, Carolinian from the Northern Mariana Islands , Marshallese , Palauans , and various others. Among Melanesians, Fijian Americans are
3000-408: The original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific islands. It includes people who indicate their race as ' Native Hawaiian ', ' Guamanian or Chamorro', ' Samoan ', and 'Other Pacific Islander' or provide other detailed Pacific Islander responses. According to the Office of Management and Budget , " Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander " refers to a person having origins in any of
3060-409: The scheme includes one country each from Melanesia (Vanuatu), Polynesia (Tonga), and Micronesia (Kiribati)—countries that already send workers to New Zealand under its seasonal labour scheme. Local usage in New Zealand uses Pacific Islander (also called Pasifika , or formerly Pacific Polynesians , ) to distinguish those who have emigrated from one of these areas in modern times from
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#17327802503433120-576: The term South Sea Islander was used to describe Australian descendants of people from the over-80 islands in the western Pacific who had been brought to Australia to work on the sugar fields of Queensland —these people were called Kanakas in the 19th century. The Pacific Island Labourers Act 1901 was enacted to restrict entry of Pacific Islanders to Australia and to authorise their deportation. In this legislation, Pacific Islanders were defined as: "Pacific Island Labourer" includes all natives not of European extraction of any island except
3180-412: The term Pacific Islands to encompass American Samoa , Cook Islands , Easter Island, the Galápagos Islands, Federated States of Micronesia , Fiji , French Polynesia , Guam , Hawaii, Kiribati , Marshall Islands , Nauru , New Caledonia , Niue , Northern Mariana Islands , Palau , Papua New Guinea , Pitcairn Islands , Salas y Gómez Island , Samoa , Solomon Islands , Tokelau , Tonga , Tuvalu ,
3240-403: The term has been extended even further to include the large South Pacific landmass of Australia . In the North Pacific, non-tropical islands in and around Alaska , Japan , and Russia were inhabited by people related to Indigenous American and Far East Asian groups, with some Japanese ethnic groups also being theorized to be related to Indigenous Pacific groups. In the South Pacific,
3300-452: The term refers to the islands of the Pacific Ocean once colonized by the Portuguese , Spaniards , Dutch , British , French , Germans , Americans , Japanese , and Chinese . In other uses, it may refer to areas with Austronesian linguistic heritage like Taiwan, Indonesia , Micronesia, Polynesia and the Myanmar islands , which found their genesis in the Neolithic cultures of the island of Taiwan . In an often geopolitical context,
3360-458: The work of the Australian South Sea Islanders United Council (ASSIUC) from the mid 1970s. Formed by a group of first descendants at Tweed Heads in 1975, the ASSIUC was the first national body to represent Australian South Sea Islanders, advocating for national recognition and promoting cultural awareness. A second iteration of the ASSIUC was re-registered in Townsville in 1991 and grew to fourteen branches including two in New South Wales . This body
3420-418: Was commissioned to create two huge murals at the James Cook University 's Singapore campus, using linocut printing. In 2017, she was the featured artist at the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair , and her work honouring her father and her Mer home was bought by the National Gallery of Victoria , and earned an Innovation Award. During 2017 and 2018, she co-curated Legacy: Reflections on Mabo , an exhibition that
3480-562: Was instrumental in bringing communities together and advocating for change. The Australian South Sea Islanders 150 Commemoration and Festival 2013 Papers (Acc. 29744) also include documents such as meeting minutes and correspondence relating to the Australian South Sea Islanders Secretariat Inc., and photographs and interviews conducted by Nic Maclellan on 13 August 2013 at the Australian South Sea Islander 150th Anniversary event at Ormiston House, Brisbane. State Library of Queensland's Nasuven Enares Oral History and Digital Story . Nasuven Enares
3540-436: Was mounted in Townsville in 2019, followed by a four-year tour across the country. In the 2021–2022 Tarnanthi exhibition at the Art Gallery of South Australia , her sculpture named Tagai , constructed of bamboo sticks and string and a representation of the Southern Cross , was mounted on a wall. it is based on the story of Tagai , which is part of Torres Strait Islanders' tradition al belief system, and passed down through
3600-480: Was uninhabited when discovered by Europeans, and later became politically integrated into Australia (and by extension, Australasia). The remote island is still sometimes considered to be in Melanesia, as it is close to the region, and has archeological evidence of prehistoric inhabitation. New Caledonia (and Vanuatu to a lesser extent) were under French colonial influence from the 19th century onward. Most islands however have historically had close ties to Australia and
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