The Power and Reach of Chiefly Societies in Fiji-West Polynesia

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Australia as a Pacific Ocean nation must understand and engage with its Central Pacific island neighbours. The 2nd millennium AD saw the growth of the powerful Tongan maritime chiefdom, arguably the most complex Pacific society of its time. The titles and individuals associated with the ancient Tongan chiefdom are politically prominent even today. Archaeological investigations will benefit modern regional relationships by establishing the antiquity and significance of prehistoric interaction. The benefit lies in building collaboration between Australian and Pacific Islander heritage organisations, contributing to Pacific scholarship and maintaining Australian expertise in the politically fractious Fiji-West Polynesia region.