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How Did The Polynesians Develop Their Culture

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Polynesian societies and cultures have developed by living in a place hard to survive for centuries. Throughout these years the Polynesians have developed into a group of people with a strong sense of community. Many things have shaped the way the Polynesians developed. The country of origin for the Polynesians heavily influenced their own traditions and culture. When the Polynesians first settled in Polynesia their traditions most likely would have been the same as those of their country of origin. Eventually these customs evolved into different rituals, unique to the Polynesians. Some traditions in Polynesia include the art of tattooing and tracking their genealogies. When the Europeans first came to Polynesia, they too influenced the way Polynesia developed. The Polynesians culture and traditions were discouraged and it was many years before the Polynesians could safely go back to their old way of living. Due to these influences, Polynesia became the tribal community that it is today.
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The Europeans introduced policies of assimilation. These policies banned Polynesian languages, cultural traditions and religious beliefs. The policies didn’t work as they deprived the Polynesians of their identity, the Polynesians objected the policies. A well-known revolt is when the boat named the Rainbow Warrior protested and was attacked by the French at Auckland Harbour, New Zealand in 1985. The Europeans also killed thousands of Polynesians; some died by the diseases that were brought over from Europe and others died from when the Europeans enforced nuclear testing on their islands. The Polynesians were not evacuated during the nuclear tests and many suffered from radiation exposure. European settlement greatly hindered the progress of Polynesian society. Cultural advancement only started again once the Europeans allowed the Polynesians to follow their own beliefs and way of

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