Tahitian in New Zealand

Introduction / History

Tahitians are from the South Pacific island of Tahiti. They have their own language, Tahitian.

The first Tahitians arrived in 400AD via Samoa. They cleared land for farming and fished from canoes. They used stone tools. Tahitians have three classes of people.

Their first contact with Europeans happened in 1767 and increased when European ships backed their efforts to gain resources and colonize. The 1790s was when European whalers came with alcohol prostitution on one side and missionaries on the other. This was also a time of fighting between Polynesian peoples. Tahitians had no immunities to Europeans diseases, and their population shrank considerably in the coming decades.

Today they live in five countries including New Zealand.

What Are Their Lives Like?

Tahitians are noted for their artwork and literature, though the common people hold less exotic jobs. There is a Tahitian cultural center in New Zealand for them to show their cultural achievements.

What Are Their Beliefs?

Tahitians are mainly Roman Catholic, though they also have a strong Evangelical element. They can be Christ’s ambassadors to those who need spiritual answers.

What Are Their Needs?

Tahitians need to find their identity and sense of worth in Christ.

Prayer Points

Pray for the Holy Spirit to do a powerful work in Tahitian churches in New Zealand, preparing them as Christ’s ambassadors.
Pray for many Tahitians to become Christ’s ambassadors to those who need the hope and direction of Jesus.
Pray for Tahitian disciples in New Zealand to make more disciples.

Text Source:   Joshua Project