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Because Pacific island family history is based largely on an oral tradition, researchers face special challenges. They need to use special methods. These methods are not widely known among family history researchers, so in writing this guide, we found Pacific islanders who had been successful in doing family history work and learned from them how they did it.The people who shared their stories and information with me were very kind and generous, and it is their hard work that has made this guide possible. Most of their names are in the Bibliography.

I tried to find someone from each of the island groups to interview, but was not able to get a case study from all groups. My hope is that one of the case studies in Step 9 will be close enough to your situation to help you.

Table of Contents

How to Use This Guide [[Image:Template:CanoeNav]]
Latter-day Saint Pacific Island Heritage
Steps of Research for Pacific Island Ancestors

Step 1. Write what you can from memory

Step 2. Gather written records

Step 3. Learn about customs and history

By clicking on this step, you can learn about:

Personal names

Determining gender

Written records that are available

Other sources of information

Step 4. Gather oral histories from your oldest relatives

Step 5. Organize your information

Step 6. Organize your papers

Step 7. Track your research

Step 8. Find ancestors on the IGI

Step 9. Obtain and search other records

By clicking on this step 9, you will get information about:

Island naming customs
How dates have been estimated
How to decide whether a name is male or female
Other Pacific island customs related to family history
The Cole Jensen Collection and Index
Oral Genealogies collected during the 1970s
How to use records from institutions near you
How to use photographic collections
How to use the Family History Library Catalog

The Pacific islands are split into 3 groups: Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Click this map to enlarge it.
For more detailed information about each island group, click on the links below.

Table of Pacific Island Names

Cook Islands (Includes Rarotonga)

Easter Island (Rapa Nui)

Hawaii background and case study

Hawaii research helps

Micronesia

Federated States of Micronesia (FSM)

Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands

Kiribati (Gilbert Islands)

New Zealand Maori Customs and Background

New Zealand Maori research ideas

Niue

Capt. Cook, a British explorer, mapped many of the Pacific islands.

Papua New Guinea

Samoa (Western and American)

Solomon Islands

Tokelau

Tonga

Tongan customs and research ideas

Tongan oral history

Register of Tongan Oral Histories

Tuvalu (Ellice Islands)

Vanuatu

Wallis and Futuna Islands

Step 10. Submit names to the IGI
Step 11. Share what you found
Pacific Island Guide Bibliography

How to Use This Guide[edit | edit source]

Steps 1 through 7 and Steps 9 and 11 are the same for all Pacific island researchers. They will help you get started with your basic family history work.

Some of the information in Steps 8, and 10 are about temple work of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS or Mormon). Just use the information in the guide that will be of help to you in your needs. You will find that you will be skipping back and forth from one step to another as you do your research. This is normal, so feel free to do it.