Overview
The carved treasures in this section represent ancestors and deities from several cultures of the Pacific. They express Pacific people’s ties with their forebears and carry the mana (prestige and authority) that those forebears held.
For thousands of years, Pacific peoples have traced their connections to ancestors and gods, cherishing these bonds as a source of identity and values. In the past, genealogical ties informed all areas of society. Knowledge of genealogy was passed down orally – through storytelling, speechmaking, and song – and also materially, through carving, weaving, and other sacred art forms. In this way, Pacific peoples maintained and developed their cultures over 5,000 years of voyaging and migration.
Today, genealogical links remain fundamental to Pacific society, influencing many areas of social and political life. The ancestors live on – in stone, bone, wood, and cloth; in speech and song; and in the hearts and minds of their descendants.