The Marquesas are the youngest of the islands in French Polynesia. But they must be older than the Hawaiian Islands, since there are not active volcanoes. (I’ve never googled that, though, so don’t quote me on it.) The landscapes are stunning with high peaks and lots of tropical greenery.
OK, I have to dip a little into the guidebook for some of the following history, however, I’m somewhat shocked that my “Guide to Navigation and Tourism in French Polynesia” still refers to the “discovery” of the islands. As if they didn’t exist before Europeans visited. But I digress.
Anyway, the islands were really first discovered and settled by people believed to have migrated from Melanesia, sometime around 1-20 AD. The first Europeans to *cough* discover *cough* them were the Spanish. They went to Fatu Hiva and Tahuata, but first they were like, “what,” and then they were like, “huh,” and then they just got bored. So, they didn’t stay long. The Marquesans are famous for repeatedly repelling occupation by various French, British, and American explorers, militaries, and missionaries. It was only in 1838 that French Catholic priests were there to stay on the island of Tahuata. During all the contact with the Europeans, the Marquesan population was severely decimated, in fact, they came close to disappearing altogether. While we were there, I noticed a concerted effort that has been made in recent decades to preserve the Marquesan language and culture. One archaeological display in Taiohae (on the island of Nuku Hiva) said the Marquesan language was almost entire replaced by Tahitian at one point. Fortunately, they are not reviving the practice of cannibalism, but the art of tattooing the body is making a strong come back. Their dancing is concentrated on a yearly festival where there are competitions among the islands. I heard it said that the missionaries frowned on the erotic and suggestive nature of the dancing, but I don’t know if that ever really came close to dying out.
The Marquesans are quite religious, with Catholicism being the most obvious Christian sect on the islands, and that is here to stay, there is no chance of the ancient Marquesan religions making a comeback.
They are in an odd time zone, being 9.5 hours set back from UTC time. Their currency is the French Polynesian Franc, and we didn’t notice any signs of any poverty. They are highly subsidized by the French, but at the same time they are a proud people who are proud to be Marquesan, not French. So, this creates a sort of love/hate relationship.
I loved the Marquesas, and I’m saddened by the fact that we had so little time there.
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