Learn the History and Customs of Your Culture: Difference between revisions

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 ''[[Pacific Island Guide to Family History Research|Pacific Island Guide&nbsp;]] &gt; Step 3. Learn about customs and history''<br>
 === Why learn the customs and history of Pacific island people?  ===
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 :Examples: <br>
 :''Folikemua'' means ''Try to win<br>''
 :''Kaitangata: The man-eater<br>''
 :''Afalahi: Big Hurricane<br>''
 :''Muahtika: Come first place in throwing the tiki<br>''
 :''Paeke ale o Kanolu: He who rides the crest of the wave''
 '''Modern surnames. '''The adoption of modern names and the use of surnames came about in various ways. Natives in outlying areas were slower to adopt them. When a person was baptized a Christian, he might take on a Biblical given name, such as ''Hoani ''and use his single name, such as ''Te Rangituanuku ''as a surname. <br>
 :Example: ''Hoani Te Rangituanuku''.
 After Europeans came to the islands, many islanders adopted '''patronymic surnames'''. In Hawaii, the U.S. Postal Service told the King in 1850 that people had to start using surnames. In some families, the children would take the father’s given name as their surname. Others would use the patronymic for two or three generations and then change the surname again. In some cases, the surname would revert back again after the third generation. Various patterns of name styles emerged in various areas.
 <blockquote>Examples: A man named ''Mamaku'' has a son named ''Awhio''. The son used the name ''Awhio Mamaku''. A man named ''Te Niko a Nipu'' has a father named ''Nipu''. His name actually means “''Niko son of Nipu''” </blockquote>
 If the ancestor had a long or unusual name, he might take a part of or a '''shortened version''' of the name for his family surname. <br>
 :Example: The name ''Keli`ikulahala'', could be cut down to ''Keli`i''.
 Many Polynesian names, especially Tahitian, begin with the prefix ''Te''. The definitive article ''Te'' is not a prefix, but an article, showing that a “''certain one is meant''.” It adds dignity and prestige to the name. Further, it is used to mark nouns, indicating something well known. ''Te'' has no further meaning. In Samoa, ''Te'' may be written as ''Le''. In Hawaii, it is written as ''Ke''. <br>
 <blockquote>For example, a name may be written as ''Te Maunganui'', ''Te maunganui'', ''Temaunganui'', or ''Maunganui''. Researchers should understand that these are all the same name. In other words, the name is really ''Maunganui''.</blockquote>
 In the old computer system that the LDS Church Genealogical Department kept of names of people for whom temple ordinances have been done, the '''Te''' in names had to be hyphenated to keep it joined with the rest of the name. This was not consistently done, and the same name could be filed four different ways: ''Te Kanawa, TeKanawa, Te-Kanawa,'' and ''Kanawa''. Because of alphabetical sorting rules that apply to spaces, hyphens, and capital letters, we should try looking up names like this in the ''International Genealogical Index'' by using all of the possible spellings.
 Pacific island people marry freely with people of other ethnic groups. Most of us have mixed ancestry. This means we may need to learn how to do several different kinds of research. In some islands, people of mixed ancestry were known as “half castes.” Some of us with half-caste names later used a Polynesian pronunciation and spelling. To do research on a European line, we need to know both versions of the surname.<br>
 <blockquote>Example: ''Bloomfield'' is written in Tongan as ''Pulu''.<br>''Smith'' is written in Maori as ''Mete''.<br>''Dawsen'' is written in Niuean as ''Tosene''.</blockquote>
 <br>In eighteenth century Samoa, if a person had an Anglo name, they had a better chance for a job, so some people adopted Anglo names even though they had no Anglo blood.
 There may also be different versions of the given name. Example:<br>
-{| class="FCK__ShowTableBorders" style="width: 500px; height: 133px" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" align="center" border="0"
+{| align="center" class="FCK__ShowTableBorders" style="width: 500px; height: 133px;" border="0" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1"
 |-
 | align="center" | '''English'''<br>
 | align="center" | '''Tahitian'''<br>
 | align="center" | '''Niuean'''<br>
 | align="center" | '''Samoan'''<br>
 | align="center" | '''Tongan'''<br>
 | align="center" | '''Hawaiian'''<br>
 | align="center" | '''Fijian'''<br>
 |-
 | align="center" | Matthew<br>
 | align="center" | Mataiu<br>
 | align="center" | Mataio<br>
 | align="center" | Matiu<br>
 | align="center" | Matiu<br>
 | align="center" | Mataio<br>
 | align="center" | Maciu<br>
 |-
 | align="center" | James<br>
 | align="center" | Iakopo<br>
 | align="center" | Semisi
 | align="center" |
 | align="center" | Semisi<br>
 | align="center" | Temesa<br>
 | align="center" | <br>
 |-
 | align="center" | David<br>
 | align="center" | Tavita<br>
 | align="center" | Tavita<br>
 | align="center" | Tavita<br>
 | align="center" | Tevita<br>
 | align="center" | Kavika<br>
 | align="center" | Tevita<br>
 |-
 | align="center" | John<br>
 | align="center" | Ioane<br>
 | align="center" | Sione<br>
 | align="center" | Ioane<br>
 | align="center" | Sione<br>
 | align="center" | Keoni<br>
 | align="center" | Jone<br>
 |-
 | align="center" | Joseph<br>
 | align="center" | Iotefa<br>
 | align="center" | Iosefa<br>
 | align="center" | Siosefa<br>
 | align="center" | Iosepa<br>
 | align="center" | Joseva<br>
 | align="center" | <br>
 |}
 A chief or person of rank was usually given a '''title-name'''. During his life, he would be called by the title name, rather than by the original given name.
 <blockquote>Example: A man named ''Maeli'' later became known as ''Fuimaono''<br>A man named ''Mimitinui'' became known as ''Makea''. </blockquote>
 Many of us have a '''nickname. '''Or we may use in life a name other than the one given us at birth. We might be known by our nickname all of our life. Both names should be recorded.
 <blockquote>Examples: ''Tevi'', for ''Tevita''<br>''Solo'', for ''Solomone'' </blockquote>
 Because Polynesian languages are spoken rather than written languages, '''[[Guessing a Name Variation|slight variations in spellings]]''' will appear. Pronunciation will indicate the names are the same.
 For example, double vowels may appear or variations in the use of consonants may appear, due to phonetic spelling.
 <blockquote>Example: ''Peeka'' may be written ''Peka'' <br>''Maake'' may be written ''Ma’ake'' </blockquote>
 Because of the many dialects in the Polynesian language, the same name appears differently in different languages. A famous Polynesian ancestor’s name is written as follows:
-{| class="FCK__ShowTableBorders" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" width="372" align="center" border="0"
+{| width="372" align="center" class="FCK__ShowTableBorders" border="0" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1"
 |-
 | align="center" | '''Maori'''<br>
 | align="center" | '''Samoan'''<br>
 | align="center" | '''Hawaiian<br>'''
 | align="center" | '''Tongan'''<br>
 | align="center" | '''Tahitian'''<br>
 |-
 | align="center" | Tangaroa<br>
 | align="center" | Tagaloa<br>
 | align="center" | Kanaloa<br>
 | align="center" | Tangaloa<br>
 | align="center" | Ta'aroa<br>
 |}
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 ==== Determining gender  ====
-Legends and genealogies do not always indicate the gender of the person named. Authorities sometimes disagree about the sex of certain ancestors. Varying versions of the legend may alter the sex of the same person. For temple ordinance purposes, the Brethren ruled that you can put “unknown” in the gender field and the person will automatically be endowed as a male. If the priesthood ordinanation was not needed because the person was female, it will not be valid.<br>Stories, legends, and traditions often give clues to the person’s sex. The activities of the persons indicate their gender. Stories of love affairs and weddings almost always identify which person is female. There are very few distinctly masculine or feminine names, but some seem self-evident:<br>
+Legends and genealogies do not always indicate the gender of the person named. Authorities sometimes disagree about the sex of certain ancestors. Varying versions of the legend may alter the sex of the same person. Stories, legends, and traditions often give clues to the person’s sex. The activities of the persons indicate their gender. Stories of love affairs and weddings almost always identify which person is female. There are very few distinctly masculine or feminine names, but some seem self-evident:<br>
 *Names which include ''Hine, Hina, Sina'', or ''Mahina'' are female.
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 The language also has certain relationship terms which are distinctly masculine or feminine.
 <blockquote>Example: Niueans call a woman’s brother ''Tungaane'', and a man’s sister is ''Mahakitaga''. Sometimes you can learn the gender by cross-reference to other records which show marriage connections.</blockquote>
 Polynesian genealogies usually favor male kinship. Names of sons were more likely to be remembered. When female names were included, this fact was mentioned. If a pedigree was of a female lineage, this is usually stated.
 ==== Time reckoning  ====
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 The written record of dates and events in the South Pacific lands began with the arrival of Europeans, with their governments and missionaries. Even then, the recording of dates of vital statistics of the native peoples was not considered of importance. Many of the '''early churches and missionaries kept some record of their converts'''. From about 1850 A.D. onward, dated records can be obtained for dates of many newsworthy events in our ancestors’ lives. For example, wars, troubles, colonizing, shipping, trade, deals, and other historical events were recorded in newspapers and other documents.
 Generally, enforced registration of vital statistics in most of the Pacific lands did not begin before 1935, although there are a number of events recorded as far back as the early1800s. Government registration of vital statistics for the Maori in New Zealand did not begin until 1928. Although registration has been required in most islands since 1937, it is possible that in some isolated areas some events have not been officially recorded. Some families waited until after several children were born to register their births because of the long distances to be traveled to the government offices. They may have estimated the birth dates of their own children, making a conflict between recorded birth dates and the dates people remember as their own birth dates.<br>
 === Sources  ===