Polynesian Studies

Conceptual Proximity: A Cross-linguistic Analysis of Alienable and Inalienable Possession in Hawaiian

by Kerry Hull

Indo-European and Asian origins for modern Chilean and Pacific archaeological chickens revealed by mtDNA

by Nic Rawlence

Correction: Indo-European and Asian origins for modern Chilean and Pacific archaeological chickens revealed by mtDNA

by Nic Rawlence

Reply to Storey et al.: More DNA and dating studies needed for ancient El-Arenal-1 chickens

by Nic Rawlence

On Boats in the Rapanui Rock Art

by Sergei Rjabchikov

Rjabchikov, S.V., 2011. On Boats in the Rapanui Rock Art. Polynesian Research, 2(3): 3.

Keywords: Rjabchikov, rongorongo, Easter Island, Polynesia, script, writing, Rapanui, Rapa Nui, petroglyphs, rock art Keywords: Rjabchikov, rongorongo, Easter Island, Polynesia, script, writing, Rapanui, Rapa Nui, petroglyphs, rock art

On the Identification of the Easter Island Atu Fish

by Sergei Rjabchikov

Rjabchikov, S.V., 2011. On the Identification of the Easter Island Atu Fish. Polynesian Research, 2(3): 4-12.

Keywords: Rjabchikov, rongorongo, Easter Island, Polynesia, script, writing, Rapanui, Rapa Nui Keywords: Rjabchikov, rongorongo, Easter Island, Polynesia, script, writing, Rapanui, Rapa Nui

About Two Samples of the Rapanui Rock Art

by Sergei Rjabchikov

Rjabchikov, S.V., 2011. About Two Samples of the Rapanui Rock Art. &: Editor's Remark. Polynesian Research, 2(2): 3

Keywords: Rjabchikov, rongorongo, Easter Island, Polynesia, script, writing, Rapanui, Rapa Nui, petroglyphs, rock art Keywords: Rjabchikov, rongorongo, Easter Island, Polynesia, script, writing, Rapanui, Rapa Nui, petroglyphs, rock art

Active coastal thrusting and folding, and uplift rate of the Sahel Anticline and Zemmouri earthquake area (Tell Atlas, Algeria)

by Christophe Morhange

Maouche et al., 2011

Major uplifts of late Quaternary marine terraces are visible along the coastline of the Tell Atlas of Algeria more Major uplifts of late Quaternary marine terraces are visible along the coastline of the Tell Atlas of Algeria
located along the Africa–Eurasia convergent plate boundary. The active tectonics of this region is associated
with large shallow earthquakes (M≥6.5), numerous thrust mechanisms and surface fault-related fold. We
conducted a detailed levelling survey of late Pleistocene and Holocene marine notches in the Algiers region
that experienced 0.50 m coastal uplift during the 2003 Zemmouri earthquake (Mw 6.8). East of Algiers,
Holocene marine indicators show three pre-2003 main notch levels formed in the last 21.9 ka. West of Algiers
on the Sahel anticline, the levelling of uplifted marine terraces shows a distinct staircase morphology with
successive notches that document the incremental folding uplift during the late Pleistocene and Holocene.
The timing of successive uplifts related to past coseismic movements along this coastal region indicates
episodic activity during the late Holocene. Modelling of surface deformation in the Zemmouri earthquake area
implies a 50-km-long, 20-km-wide, NE–SW trending, SE dipping fault rupture and an average 1.3 mcoseismic
slip at depth. Further west, the 70-km-long Sahel fold is subdivided in 3 sub-segments and shows ~0.84–
1.2 mm/yr uplift rate in the last 120–140 ka. The homogeneous Holocene uplift of marine terraces and the
anticline dimensions imply the possible occurrence of large earthquakes with Mw≥7 in the past. The surface
deformation and related successive uplifts are modelled to infer the size and characteristics of probable future
earthquakes and their seismic hazard implications for the Algiers region.
© 2011 Elsevier

Les cultes de langues anglaise et française dans les Églises protestantes de Polynésie: intégration des jeunes ou pluralisation religieuse?

by Gwendoline Malogne-Fer

Social Compass, juin 2009 n° 56(2) pp. 249-262.

The author deals with the creation of forms of worship in the English and French languages (in New Zealand and Tahiti,... more The author deals with the creation of forms of worship in the English and French languages (in New Zealand and Tahiti, respectively) within the so-called "historical"Protestant churches established in Polynesia from the 19th century. These forms of worship were officially designed to attract young children, who no longer speak Polynesian languages, but in practice they serve as testing grounds for new ways of organising and celebrating the religion that come closer to the Evangelical and Pentecostal style. The aim is to show how the issue of language, which has created a generation gap, reflects the changes that have taken place in the religious practices of Polynesian Protestantism. The question that ultimately emerges concerns the role of these forms of worship in the context of the younger generation's growing indifference to the historical churches: Have they brought about a reaffiliation or are they the first step towards religious disaffiliation?

The eyes of the moai, lost and re-discovered

by Helene Martinsson-Wallin

published 1996 in Rapa-Nui Journal. Vol 10, no:2:41-44.

La Fabrique des crétins: souvenirs de Tahiti

by Caroline Ferraris-Besso

Notes about Hanga Piko, Rapa Nui

by Sergei Rjabchikov

Rjabchikov, S.V., 2011. Notes about Hanga Piko, Rapa Nui. Polynesian Research, 2(2): 4-12.

Sergei V. Rjabchikov has read the name of the Cave of Cannibals (Ana Kai Tangata) in two rongorongo inscriptions: on a... more Sergei V. Rjabchikov has read the name of the Cave of Cannibals (Ana Kai Tangata) in two rongorongo inscriptions: on a rock panel at Hanga Piko (Easter Island, Chile) as well as on the famous Tahua tablet.

Keywords: Rjabchikov, rongorongo, Easter Island, Polynesia, script, writing, Rapanui, Rapa Nui, the bird-man cult, petroglyphs, rock art, archaeoastronomy, PPN reconstructions

Tree of Rata: Towards a Reconstruction of a Proto-Polynesian Text

by Artem Kozmin

The Journal of the Polynesian Society. 2010. Vol. 119/4. P. 393-400

The Feminization and Professionalization of Ordained Ministry within the Ma'ohi Protestant Church in French Polynesia

by Gwendoline Malogne-Fer

in I. JONES, K. THORPE et J. WOOTTON (dir.), Women and Ordination in the Christian Churches: International Perspectives, T &T Clark Theology, London & New York, p. 177-188. Article sélectionné en 2010 in Elizabeth KOEPPING (dir.) World Christianity, volume 3, part 14, Routledge

In 1995, the Evangelical Church of French Polynesia – which came from the London Missionary Society and the Society... more In 1995, the Evangelical Church of French Polynesia – which came from the London Missionary Society and the Society for Evangelical Missions of Paris – allowed women to be ordained as pastors. This decision was notably made at the instigation of the World Council of Churches and under the pressure of pastor's wives involved in this ecumenical movement.
The accession of women to pastoral ministry goes with a transformation of Church ministries in terms of practice and legitimisation. This professionalisation of pastorate can be analyzed through four evolutions: the elevation of the academic training's level (the baccalaureate is now required to enter the pastoral school), the development of specialised ministries (school and hospital chaplains), the separation between private life and parish life and the ban on deacons, evangelists and pastors of the Church being in political office.
The backgrounds of male and female students pastors are different: girls who enter the pastoral school are single and holder of the baccalaureate whereas boys are married, without the baccalaureate and sent by their parish of origin.
Women pastorate, combined with the obligation of marriage that is still in force, heralds a redefinition of authority's patterns within the “pastoral couple” and of the status of the pastor's partner within the parish, when he is “only” the husband of the woman pastor.

L'accès des femmes au pastorat

by Gwendoline Malogne-Fer

2007, Archives de sciences sociales des religions, n°138 : p. 29-48

The main theme of this study consists in questioning, from the Polynesian Protestant field, the connection between the... more The main theme of this study consists in questioning, from the Polynesian Protestant field, the connection between the transformation of the church institution and the transformation of men-women relations in parish. The institutionalization of women’s activities initiated during the 1980’s by pastor’s wives and the acceptance of woman pastorate in 1995 show two distinct – and sometimes conflicting – processes increasing the participation of women in the church life. Before women became deacons or pastors, the church has been a place of socialization appreciated by women who have organized places and times for women only.
The accession of women to pastoral ministry goes with a professionalization of ministries characterized by a priority given to the theological training of the future pastors, the creation of specialized non-parish ministries and the separation between private life and professional life. But while the relations within the parish are considered in terms of parental relations (the pastor is a parent who should facilitate the spiritual growth of his parishioners), the mobilization of the private life, i.e. the use of the pastor’s family as an example, does not work for a woman pastor as it does for a man pastor.

Music transmission in an Auckland Tongan community youth band

by David Hebert

International Journal of Community Music

This article reports on findings from a 2006 ethnographic study of a Tongan community youth band in Auckland, New... more This article reports on findings from a 2006 ethnographic study of a Tongan community youth band in Auckland, New Zealand. To begin, the study's rationale is discussed in relation to previous research, followed by a description of the band's repertoire and rehearsal strategies, instrumentation and uniforms, notational practices and institutional context. The youth band's role in the Tongan community of Auckland is then considered in relation to previous descriptions of ‘community music’. The band's significance in terms of musical identity and its socio-economic context are also examined, followed by a discussion of this study's implications for community music workers in other settings. The findings suggest that community ensembles rooted in musical hybridity may generate innovative models of music learning and play a unique role in cultural preservation.

Conversions pentecôtistes en Polynésie française: logiques culturelles et déterminants sociaux d'un 'choix personnel'

by Yannick Fer

In Fer Y. & Malogne-Fer G. (eds.), Anthropologie du christianisme en Océanie, L'Harmattan, Paris, 2009: 149-168.

Beyond the Pentecostal discourse on conversion that insists on a free and voluntary choice, the itineraries of French... more Beyond the Pentecostal discourse on conversion that insists on a free and voluntary choice, the itineraries of French Polynesian converts shows various intertwining cultural, social and religious factors. Drawing from the accounts of members of French Polynesia Assemblies of God, this text examines first the lasting presence of Polynesian traditional spirits that prompt converts to take position ; then the principles of continuity that lead former members of the historical Protestant Church to assert that "they haven't changed their religion" ; and finally the contemporary weakening of religious transmission that puts Pentecostal conversions in line with a social context of individual autonomisation.

Réflexions bibliques à Rapa: conversion au christianisme et conservation identitaire

by Yannick Fer

Co-authored with Gwendoline Malogne-Fer
Bulletin de la société des études océaniennes 272: 69-74, 1996.

En mars 1995, deux pasteurs de l'église protestante historique de Polynésie française séjournent sur l'île de Rapa... more En mars 1995, deux pasteurs de l'église protestante historique de Polynésie française séjournent sur l'île de Rapa (archipel des Australes) et animent à cette occasion une série de tuaro'i, discussions paroissiales consacrées à l'exégèse de versets bibliques.
Sur cette île où tout le monde ou presque est protestant, ces réunions font apparaître à travers une grille d'analyse biblique, un ensemble de représentations du monde, des processus communautaires d'élaboration de l'unité par la complémentarité et des transformations socio-politiques.

Le paysage religieux polynésien: de la territorialisation des appartenances à la dispersion

by Yannick Fer

A general presentation of religions in French Polynesia, posted on my blog in 2007.

(Review) Bernard Rigo. Altérité polynésienne, ou les métamorphoses de l'espace-temps

by Yannick Fer