Polynesians

Polynesians are a broad group of indigenous peoples associated with Polynesia, a Pacific region that includes Hawaii, Samoa, Tonga, Tahiti (French Polynesia), the Cook Islands, the Marquesas, Easter Island, and New Zealand. They share linguistic and cultural links that distinguish them from Melanesian and Micronesian groups and form part of the wider Austronesian language family.

Linguistically, Polynesian languages constitute a branch of the Oceanic subgroup of Austronesian. Major modern languages include Māori (New Zealand), Samoan, Tongan, Hawaiian, Tahitian, and Rapa Nui. These languages reflect a common ancestral homeland and a long history of voyaging and settlement across the Pacific.

Origins and expansion are commonly described as a western Polynesian core giving rise to central and eastern Polynesia through extensive seafaring. Beginning in the first millennium CE, Polynesian-speaking peoples developed sophisticated navigational techniques and double-hulled canoes, enabling long-distance voyages that produced extensive settlement across the Pacific, including New Zealand, Hawaii, and Easter Island.

Culture and society vary by island group but often emphasize kinship networks, chiefly titles, and customary practices known as tapu or mana in different forms. Traditional arts include woodcarving, weaving, tattooing (ta moko in Māori), canoe-building, and bark cloth in some areas. Music and dance, such as the Māori haka, play prominent roles in ceremonial and social life.

History since European contact in the 18th century brought changing political structures, disease, and later incorporation into modern nation-states and territories. Today Polynesian peoples form significant populations across the Pacific and in diaspora communities, maintaining diverse cultures while retaining common linguistic and cultural ties.