Pulotu
Database of Austronesian Religions
| Question | Response | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-Austronesian population | Absent: No evidence of human occupation prior to Austronesian settlement | V. 1985: 1; Bellwood 1995: 109 |
| Christian influence on supernatural belief | No evidence of influence and not in region of known contact (No evidence of Christian influence on supernatural belief, and culture is unlikely to have had contact with Christian societies at or prior to the time focus in question.) | Linnekin 1991: 95 |
| Hindu / Buddhist influence on supernatural belief | No evidence of influence and not in region of known contact (No evidence of Hindu / Buddhist influence on supernatural belief, and culture is unlikely to have had contact with Hindu or Buddhist societies at or prior to to the time focus in question.) | Cribb 2000: Map 2.21 |
| (Low) contact with other societies (SCCS v 787) | Rare or never (less than once in a generation) | Kirch 1990: 317; Kolb 2001: 68 |
| Islamic influence on supernatural belief | No evidence of influence and not in region of known contact (No evidence of Islamic influence on supernatural belief, and culture is unlikely to have had contact with Islamic societies at or prior to the time focus in question.) | Cribb 2000: Map 2.23 |
| Distance to closest landmass inhabited by a different culture (km) | 3654 | Calculator 2014; V. 1985: 22 |
| Distance to nearest continent (km) | 3675 | 2014; Calculator 2014 |
| Question | Response | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Longitude of culture’s location (°) | -155.5 | 2014 |
| Latitude of culture’s location (°) | 19.6 | 2014 |
| Question | Response | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Number of islands inhabited by culture | Four or more | Kolb 2001: 6 |
| Question | Response | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Island type (island with largest culture population or largest island if unknown) | Volcanic high island (an oceanic island of volcanic origin, e.g. Hawaii) | V. 1985: 24 |
| Maximum elevation (meters) | 4206 | V. 1985: 25 |
| Island Size (km²) | 10458 | V. 1985: 25 |
| Question | Response | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Estimate of culture population size at relevant time focus | 350000 | V. 2010: 32-33 |
| Importance of Matrilateral descent (V.2) | Medium (Matrilateral descent plays an important role in determining social status and / or group membership, but is not the most important form of descent.) | Linnekin 1991: 96 |
| Importance of Patrilateral descent (V.2) | Medium (Patrilateral descent plays an important role in determining social status and / or group membership, but is not the most important form of descent.) | Linnekin 1991: 96 |
| Polygamy (SCCS 861) | Limited polygyny (< 20% of married males) | Linnekin 1991: 96 |
| Marital residence (SCCS 69) | Ambilocal - with either wife's or husband's kin | Linnekin 1991: 96 |
| Estimated population of largest political community | 100,000 or more | V. 2010: 31-33 |
| Political Authority | Supralocal (encompasses multiple local groups) | V. 2010: 47-49 |
| Question | Response | Source |
|---|---|---|
| (No) conflict (social or political) within the local community (SCCS v 767) | Moderate (Conflict occurs frequently but is seldom violent, or is violent but occurs only occasionally.) | Sahlins 1958: 19-20 |
| (No) internal warfare (between communities of the same society) (SCCS v 773) | Frequent, occurring at least yearly | V. 2010: 69; Oliver 2002: 145 |
| (No) external warfare (with other societies) (SCCS v 774) | Rare or never | V. 2010: 69-72; Kirch 1990: 317 |
| Question | Response | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Metalworking | Absent | Linnekin 1991: 96 |
| Question | Response | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Animal husbandry as a source of food | Medium | Mitchell 1992: 121-122; Kirch 2003: 487 |
| Land-based hunting performed by individuals | Minor | Kolb 2001: 67; Mitchell 1992: 121; Kirch 2003: 486-487 |
| Land-based gathering | Minor | Mitchell 1992: 120-121, 128-129 |
| Land-based hunting performed by one or more groups | Minor | Kolb 2001: 67; Mitchell 1992: 121 |
| Agriculture / Horticulture | Principal (more important than any other source of food) | Linnekin 1991: 96 |
| Question | Response | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Water-based gathering | Major | V. 1985: 2-3 |
| Fishing and water-based hunting performed by one or more groups | Major | V. 1985: 2-3 |
| Fishing and water-based hunting performed by individuals | Major | V. 1985: 2-3 |
| Question | Response | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Trade / wage labour as a source of food | Minor | Kolb 2001: 68 |
| Question | Response | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Was a foreign religion adopted through a top-down (those high in the social hierarchy converted first, followed by the general population) or a bottom-up (the general population converted first, followed by those high in the social hierarchy) process? | Primarily a top-down process. | Linnekin 1991: 95 |
| Use of force in conversion | Low (most communities adopted the new religion either voluntarily or due to pressure from other communities of the same culture) | Okihiro 2008: 72, 98-104; Hays 1964: 51-82 |
| Adoption of a world religion | Present and predominant (At one time or another during the post-contact period, at least 75% of the indigenous population practiced a world religion.) | Motteler et al. nd |
| Resident missionary involvement in conversion process | Present, and from non-Austronesian societies (Resident foreign missionaries, at least one of whom was from a non-Austronesian society, played an important role in the conversion process.) | Hays 1964: 57; Linnekin 1991: 95 |
| Question | Response | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Syncretic religious movements | Absent | Okihiro 2008: 72, 98-104; Hays 1964: 51-82 |
| Question | Response | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Replacement-level immigration | High (Replacement-level immigration occurred. At one time or another during the post-contact period the immigrant culture had a population size more than 100% of that of the indigenous population.) | Linnekin 1991: 95 |
| Language shift | High (At one time or another during the post-contact period, a foreign language became the sole or primary means of communication for most of the indigenous population.) | Linnekin 1991: 95 |
| Foreign education systems | High (At one time or another during the post-contact period over 75% of children received some at least a basic non-indigenous education.) | of Health 2003: 52 |
| Foreign government systems | Present, and of high importance (At one time or another during the post-contact period the culture was subject to a foreign government system that controlled most important decisions.) | Linnekin 1991: 96 |
| Question | Response | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Changes in means of subsistence | High (No indigenous means of subsistence has remained major or principal.) | Linnekin 1991: 96 |
| Exportation of goods to other cultures | Present and substantial (At one time or another during the post-contact period, exports were a primary focus of economic activity for over 10% of the population.) | Linnekin 1991: 4 |
| Question | Response | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicles and roads | Present and widely used (At one time or another during the post-contact period, motor vehicles were used by a substantial proportion of the population.) | Lucas 2004: 24 |
| Air travel | Present and long-distance (At one time or another, most members of the culture had access to international air travel.) | Motteler et al. nd |
| Sea port | Present (At one time or another during the post-contact period most members of the culture had access to a sea port.) | Motteler et al. nd; Agency 2009: 176 |
| Question | Response | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Loss of autonomy during postcontact period | High (On at least one occasion during the post-contact period, the culture came under the political dominance of a foreign power, and this event resulted in considerable loss of autonomy.) | Chock 1995; Linnekin 1991: 95 |
| Nature of loss of autonomy – voluntary vs. forced | Largely involuntary (autonomy was lost largely as a result of external force) | Linnekin 1991: 95 |