Tahiti, and the rest of the Society Islands, are some of the south Pacific’s most naturally beautiful locations. Author James A. Michener, who wrote more than a dozen works describing life in various pacific cultures, noted that the Society Islands are “so stunning, there are really no adequate words to describe it.” Originally populated by Polynesians between 300 and 800 AD, there are fourteen major islands in this archipelago, and countless other smaller coral atolls. Like many Polynesian islands, the Society Islands are home to few native land mammals. Instead, they host a large and varied population of avifauna, terrestrial arthropods, and reptiles.

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The traditional native population was organized around the idea of chiefdoms. Like most other Polynesian cultures, life revolved around the chief or Ari’i Rahi, who led his individual area with military power. Still, these chiefs did not rule absolutely, as they frequently sought the advice of a counsel of elders to handle important matters, especially at times of war.

Tahitian tattoo art was limited in design variance compared to some other Polynesian societies. Still, tattooing was a ritual that nearly every Tahitian experienced. Females in particular always received tattoos. Their first tattoo was given at an early age under the arms to signify that they are free of food taboos. Before receiving these marks, the young Tahitian females could only eat food prepared by their mother. When they reached puberty, Tahitian women received another more extensive tattoo covering their buttocks as a symbol of sexual maturity. The young women were said to lift their grass shirts and expose their tattoo as a way of advertizing their sexual maturity; a practice that surely made the visiting westerners blush.

Female Tattoo

Males were also tattooed, but it was not as mandatory as the females. They frequently received their tattoo around puberty by the same group of elders who preformed their circumcision ceremony. Designs were usually in the form of elongated rectangular shapes, with a few other designs used on hands and feet.

Western exposure to the Society Islands came with the arrival of the widely traveled Captain Cook, who bestowed to this area the name of Society Islands, after the British Royal Society who sponsored Cook’s scientific exploration of the Pacific. The British were not the only early European influence on this area. The islands were proclaimed a colony of France in 1880, but it was not until 1946 before natives were granted citizenship.

Modern life on the Society Islands revolves mainly around farming and tourism, which are the French territories’ main economic resources. Pineapple, Vanilla, Coconut and Pearl Farming account for a large amount of the Society Islands gross domestic product, with various tourist activities and attractions bringing in significant additional capital.

Official Name: Society Islands,
Population: 221,000
Capital City: Papeete (27,000), with an estimated (151,500) on the island of Tahiti
Languages: French (official), Tahitian (official)
Official Currency: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc
Religions: Protestant, Catholic, others
Land Area: 1,680 sq km (650 sq miles)
Latitude/Longitude: 17º 52S, 149º 56W
Highest Point: Mt. Orohena at 7,350 ft. (2,241 m)