Pulotu
Database of Austronesian Religions
| Question | Response | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-Austronesian population | Absent: No evidence of human occupation prior to Austronesian settlement | Bellwood 1995: 109 |
| Christian influence on supernatural belief | No evidence of influence but in a region where contact is likely (No evidence of Christian influence on supernatural belief, but culture is known to have had (or is likely to have had) contact with Christian societies at or prior to the time focus in question.) | Bargatzky 1991: 286-287 |
| 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) | Frequent, through trade, warfare, travel, etc. (e.g. yearly or most years) | Gunson 1990: 179 |
| 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) | 366.7 | Calculator 2014 |
| Distance to nearest continent (km) | 3803 | Calculator 2014 |
| Question | Response | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Longitude of culture’s location (°) | -171.8 | 2014; Keesing 1934: 19 |
| Latitude of culture’s location (°) | -13.9 | 2014; Keesing 1934: 19 |
| Question | Response | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Number of islands inhabited by culture | Four or more | Stair 1897: 21 |
| 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) | Bargatzky 1991: 286 |
| Maximum elevation (meters) | 1100 | 2019 |
| Island Size (km²) | 1091 | 2019 |
| Question | Response | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Estimate of culture population size at relevant time focus | 50000 | Green 2007; Pirie 1963 |
| 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.) | Bargatzky 1991: 288 |
| Importance of Patrilateral descent (V.2) | High (Patrilateral descent plays an important role in determining social status and / or group membership, and is more important than any other form of descent.) | Bargatzky 1991: 288 |
| Polygamy (SCCS 861) | Limited polygyny (< 20% of married males) | Bargatzky 1991: 288 |
| Marital residence (SCCS 69) | Patrilocal or virilocal - with husband's kin | Bargatzky 1991: 288 |
| Kinship system (if applicable) | Hawaiian | Bargatzky 1991: 288 |
| Estimated population of largest political community | 1,000-9,999 | Green 2007; Stair 1897: 56-102 |
| Political Authority | Supralocal (encompasses multiple local groups) | Stair 1897: 83-102 |
| Question | Response | Source |
|---|---|---|
| (No) conflict (social or political) within the local community (SCCS v 767) | Low (Conflict seldom occurs, and is almost never violent.) | Turner 1884: 59 |
| (No) internal warfare (between communities of the same society) (SCCS v 773) | Frequent, occurring at least yearly | Stair 1897: 242-243 |
| (No) external warfare (with other societies) (SCCS v 774) | Rare or never | Stair 1897: 242-258; Turner 1884: 188-196 |
| Question | Response | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Metalworking | Absent | Buck 1930 |
| Question | Response | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Animal husbandry as a source of food | Medium | Buck 1930: 119, 127 |
| Land-based hunting performed by individuals | Medium | Buck 1930: 119, 127, 523-544 |
| Land-based gathering | Minor | Buck 1930: 127-128, 546-551, 546 |
| Land-based hunting performed by one or more groups | Medium | Buck 1930: 119, 127, 523-544 |
| Agriculture / Horticulture | Principal (more important than any other source of food) | Bargatzky 1991: 287; Buck 1930: 127-128 |
| Question | Response | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Water-based gathering | Medium | Buck 1930: 119, 127, 136, 418 |
| Fishing and water-based hunting performed by one or more groups | Major | Buck 1930: 418-522 |
| Fishing and water-based hunting performed by individuals | Major | Buck 1930: 119, 127, 418 |
| Question | Response | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Trade / wage labour as a source of food | Absent | Bargatzky 1991: 287 |
| 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. | Gilson 1970: 74-76 |
| 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) | Gilson 1970: 69-114 |
| 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.) | Bargatzky 1991: 287-288 |
| 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.) | Bargatzky 1991: 287 |
| Question | Response | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Syncretic religious movements | Present, but did not survive to the present-day | Freeman 1958: 4-13, 19, 21-22; Agency 2014; . 2014 |
| Question | Response | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Replacement-level immigration | Absent (Replacement-level immigration did not occur – an immigrant culture was never present in the area, or was present but had a population size less than 10% of that of the indigenous culture.) | Meleisea 1987: 31, 43, 106-107, 120-121, 129, 150, 156-170; Agency 2014; . 2014 |
| Language shift | Low (The indigenous language remained the sole or primary means of communication for most of the indigenous population for the duration of the post-contact period.) | Foster 2021; Creevey et al. 2021 |
| 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.) | Agency 2014; Foster 2021; . 2014; Creevey et al. 2021 |
| 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.) | Meleisea 1987; Foster 2021; . 2014; Creevey et al. 2021 |
| Question | Response | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Changes in means of subsistence | Medium (Principal and major means of subsistence have changed from their indigenous states (e.g. through gain or loss of major and / or principal means of subsistence), but at least one of the major or principal means of subsistance has persisted.) | Keighley et al. 2006: 113; Foster 2021; Creevey et al. 2021 |
| 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.) | Creevey et al. 2021; Bargatzky 1991: 287 |
| 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.) | Foster 2021; Creevey et al. 2021 |
| Air travel | Present and long-distance (At one time or another, most members of the culture had access to international air travel.) | Foster 2021; Creevey et al. 2021 |
| Sea port | Present (At one time or another during the post-contact period most members of the culture had access to a sea port.) | Foster 2021; Creevey et al. 2021 |
| 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.) | Bargatzky 1991: 287 |
| Nature of loss of autonomy – voluntary vs. forced | Largely voluntary (Autonomy was ceded either voluntarily or as a result of pressure from other members of the same culture, without the threat of external force being necessary.) | Meleisea 1987: 42, 64-88 |