Why Fletcher Christen mutinied

On my daily run I spotted the five Polynesian style war boats entering the harbor. I scurried back to the boat to load up on camera gear and returned as the crowd gathered. The authentic war ships came from Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, New Zealand and hosting Tahiti. What followed was a cultural experience that went tore at the core of my heart. Dancers, singers, warriors and one amazing child told the story of the past Polynesian saga. Even though I did not understand a word of the language the message came through clear as a bell. This is a proud culture that is alive and well.

Wild tattooed drummers pounded ancient rhythms to incredibly beautiful girls dancing with spellbinding hip movements all backed by angelic harmonic chanting and singing. This is what the crew on the bounty encountered when they first arrived in Tahiti and it is no wonder they wanted to stay. I did!

Each war ship was greeted by performances from their homeland. The Tahitian dancers, the New Zealand singers, and the fierce warriors of Fiji gave amazing performances. The crowd was speechless as one lone little girl gave a walking chant. Again, not understanding the words, the message was clear, she was the soul of these people. Donning the attire of her ancient relatives she brought the crowd to breathless silence as she gracefully glided around the circle of spectators. She was the essence of Polynesia past present and future.

This event was not advertised and the only non local folks in the audience were like me they just happened by. So when the young girl spoke and the others danced and sang it was not for me it was for their people, their story and their day. I think that I enjoyed that element as much as the show itself. There was no effort to explain or translate anything for me.

The large dance group from Tahiti crossed the generational boundaries that seem not to exist here. Young maidens danced along with a group of what were probably their mothers and even grandmothers all with a beauty and poise only found in the true

of heart. And beautiful it was the kind of beauty that tears your eyes and makes you have to remember to breath.

The boys from Fiji dropped me out of the Tahitian clouds. They came full of warrior heritage. History tells us the early expeditions of Capt Cook and others avoided Fiji and their fierce warriors. That heritage lives.

As the event closed the groups that made up Polynesia all gathered in what I learned was the first of such reunions. This event brought them together in the way they would have gathered pre white man and the spirit lived to today.