Ka oha is the greeting of affection shared by the Polynesian people of the Marquesas — a beautiful group of high-rise tropical islands near the equator that may not be as well known as other parts of Polynesia.
The Marquesas, which today are part of French Polynesia, were once heavily populated with a highly advanced Polynesian culture. The people had their own language and unique customs. Marquesan tattooing and carving, for example, are distinctive in design. The ancestors of some Hawaiians are known to have migrated from there. Western artists such as Paul Gauguin and Herman Melville were inspired by the beauty of the people and place; and the Marquesan tohua, or ceremonial platform that has been carefully recreated at the Polynesian Cultural Center, is exquisite.
The tohua:
The Marquesas tohua exhibit does not represent a typical village, but rather a high chief's residential compound that centuries ago would have been the focal point of a village, or a chiefly plaza of sorts where important events took place.
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The Marquesan tohua, which is unique throughout Polynesia, consists of the Hakaiki or chief's residence, the Ha'e Ko'o'ua or "old men's house," a drumming platform, the Ha'e Patu Tiki or "tattooing house," the Ha'e Tukau or "religious sanctuary," a Ha'e Toa or "warrior's house," the Ha'e Manihi'i or "guest house," the Ha'e Vehine for women and children, a medicine hut and a Ha'e Kuki cooking area. |
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