Paper short abstract:

The study of Pacific cultures is a process of self-affirmation, reinsertion, and reclaiming of values that are productive and transformative.

Paper long abstract:

The conceptual framework in which Pacific peoples view themselves should be critically analyzed. The conceptual frameworks are thought of as the "structures of feeling" and are directly influenced by the cultures and knowledge systems of the Pacific peoples (Williams 1977). Culture in the Pacific is constructed in a distinct way from the larger Asian countries. The study of Pacific cultures is a process of self-affirmation, reinsertion, and reclaiming of values that are productive and transformative. Hau'ofa's view of the world of "Oceania" is that it is a vast and complex network of relationships: "It should be clear now that the world of Oceania is neither tiny nor deficient in resources…They are once again enlarging the world, establishing new resources base and expanded networks for circulation" (Hau'ofa 1993, 11). In seeking to understand the various trajectories that created closures among the nations and peoples of the Pacific we need not limit ourselves to national boundaries, one or two of the ethnic categories in the Pacific, in specific disciplinary emphasis and on individual contributions in scholarship, but extent our perspectives on collective expressions . Our intention is to centre our discussions around the problematics of agency of the indigenous in Pacific Studies research. I hope this is more a dialogic engagement rather than a position to defend all the time in our research activities.