20 



Pair of giant clams ( Tridacna gigas) in waters of tfie Caroline Is- 

 lands. These huge molluscs, which can exceed 400 lbs., occur 

 widely in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. The large adductor muscle 

 is considered a delicacy, ecan Roessier 



a modem economic institution, the commercial 

 market. 



To illustrate some of the continuities and 

 changes in a contemporary culture, we've built a life- 

 size recreation of one of the Pacific's most colorful 

 markets, from Papeete on the island of Tahiti. (See 

 page 26 to learn more about the design of the mar- 

 ket.) This isn't a tourist market; it's where the Tahi- 

 tians meet their material needs, and many social 

 needs as well. Here they obtain their food and cloth- 

 ing, and gather to exchange news and views. Walk 

 down a twisting street, glimpse into shop windows 

 and open-air stalls. You'll find a record of the chang- 

 ing Pacific. 



Some things in the market have been used for 

 centuries: native crops like taro, breadfruit, and coco- 

 nuts; ocean fish like bonito, and colorful lagoon reef 

 fish. Other items are modifications of traditional 

 Polynesian handwork: pandanus leaf baskets and hats 

 and colorful shell necklaces. Pareu — sheets of fabric 

 wrapped and folded to make a dress — are a centuries- 

 old form of clothing. In their original form, they were 

 made of finely beaten bark cloth; today, they're made 

 from commercial cotton cloth colored in stenciled 

 patterns. 



While some continuities are evident, many 

 changes in Tahitian society are also reflected in the 

 market. Some signs are in Tahitian, but others are in 



French, as you might expect in this urban center of 

 French Polynesia. Several of the shops have Chinese 

 names. Woks and rice bowls are prominently dis- 

 played, and there's a Chinese-style pharmacy selling 

 herbal medicines. The produce stall stocks Chinese 

 foods like bean sprouts, ginger, and pea pods. You may 

 he surprised to learn that the first Chinese people 

 came to Tahiti in the mid- 1800s, brought by European 

 plantation owners to work the fields of cotton. They've 

 remained to take an important place in today's 

 Tahitian society and economy. 



Changes in Pacific island material life are readily 

 visible; less apparent to the casual visitor may be the 

 underlying social values. Cotton may replace bark 

 cloth, but 70 percent of Tahiti's people are native 

 Polynesian speakers. A rich tradition of performing 

 arts is still valued as cultural expression, not simply 

 a means for tourist earnings. As the world approaches 

 a new century, Tahitian people will continue to define 

 and redefine their own culture, preserving what works 

 from the past and adapting what they need for the 

 future. 



Preview of Pacific II 



For the next year, visitors will exit Traveling the Pacific 

 after their stop in the Tahitian market. In November 

 1990 we'll be opening the second and final phase of 

 Field Museum's new Pacific installation. An addition- 

 al 7,200 square feet of exhibit space will be devoted 

 exclusively to displaying and celebrating some of the 

 finest objects from our collection in an in-depth dis- 

 play of traditional Pacific arts and rituals. There will 

 be more to see and learn about Polynesia and New 

 Guinea, as well as memorial sculptures from New Ire- 

 land, unusual symbols of prestige from Vanuatu 

 (formerly New Hebrides), and rare monumental 

 masks from New Britain. Few museums can offer the 

 public a new understanding of Pacific cultures; it's our 

 goal to do so with the spectacular collection of Pacific 

 artifacts now housed in storage at the Field Museum. 



AUTHOR'S NOTE 



Many people have contributed research and editorial skills 

 to Traveling the Pacific, providing ideas and words that ap- 

 pear in the exhibit's label text. Some of them are borrowed 

 for this article. 1 would like to acknowledge the contribu- 

 tions of the following individuals: Eileen Campbell, Susan 

 Curran, Nora Deans, Richard Faron, Robert Feldman, 

 Robert Izor, Peter Laraba, Judy Rand, and Michael Rigsby. 

 Any errors of fact or interpretation that may appear in this 

 article are, however, entirely my own. 



