The mysterious origins of the Polynesians, is a subject that has generated a great deal of controversy over the years. The Polynesians live in some of the most isolated communities in the world, yet the people of Polynesia possess a richness of culture, that indicates a great deal of interaction has occurred with other cultures in their formative years. They are a wise, proud, competitive and spiritually aware culture, possessing a complex society with Kings and Queens. Hardly the sort of culture one would expect to be generated amongst a small group of isolated individuals living on coral atolls and small volcanic islands.
Despite this, many scientists still believe Polynesian society has emerged from a small group of individuals out of the 'big man' Melanesian society, a society which is structured in a completely different manner to Polynesian society. Melanesians take the richest, most charismatic man as their leader, whereas Polynesians have a complex class society that is based on a hereditary system that goes back 16,000 years to a lady called Lailai, royalty is termed 'Ali'i' and the name for female 'hine', is from the ancient Sumerian moon goddess hina, suggesting some very deep roots in the old world. Many scientists still believe Polynesians 'mysteriously' lost their dark skin, frizzy hair, their Melanesian genes and their knowledge of pottery when they arrived in Polynesia - an assumption that has no credible scientific backing. Eastern Polynesians worshipped different gods to the Melanesians, they used different sailing craft (catamarans, not outrigger canoes), different tools and artifacts, including; tikis, grinding pestles, the use of jade, harpoons, lures and two piece fishhooks which are more similar in design to Kwakuitl and Haida artefacts of Canada.
