Tangata Moana

Tangata o le Moana / Peoples of the Pacific

About

The treasures here highlight some of the many and varied traditions and lifestyles of Pacific nations. Settled by purposeful voyaging across the vast Pacific, these lands and their peoples are each distinct but also share connections.

These cultural objects carry stories of past and present peoples indigenous to Pacific islands and atolls, their beliefs, languages, and lifeways. Whether created for use, trade, or ceremony, each is evidence of the expertise of its makers, and evokes a sense of the place and culture to which it belongs.

Don’t Miss:

• A Hawaiian Ali’i (chiefly) feathered cape

• A display of archaeological Lapita pottery and other artefacts on loan from the Papua New Guinea National Museum and Art Gallery

• Ti’i, moai, and ancestral and atua figures from the Solomon Islands, Rapanui, Tahiti, and Pitcairn