Match each culture/peoples with the appropriate statement. Hawaiians Easter Islanders Believe in an afterlife called the Dreaming. Aborigines of Australia Asmat people Incas Marquesans Carved wood bis poles serve to honor the recent dead and confirm this obligation on the living. Created large figures of stone with red stone topknots and white coral eyes. Chanted the ancestor names while making feather cloaks, imbuing the cloaks with protective spiritual powers. Believed that tattooing was a sacred rite; men would continue to visit the tukuka throughout their lives.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
Here is the correct matching of each culture/peoples with the appropriate statement:
- Aborigines of Australia – Believe in an afterlife called the Dreaming.
- Asmat people – Carved wood bis poles serve to honor the recent dead and confirm this obligation on the living.
- Easter Islanders – Created large figures of stone with red stone topknots and white coral eyes.
- Hawaiians – Chanted the ancestor names while making feather cloaks, imbuing the cloaks with protective spiritual powers.
- Marquesans – Believed that tattooing was a sacred rite; men would continue to visit the tukuka throughout their lives.
Explanation
These Indigenous cultures are known for their deep spiritual traditions and distinct artistic practices, often closely tied to beliefs about ancestry, the afterlife, and communal identity.
The Aborigines of Australia center their spirituality around the concept of the Dreaming (or Dreamtime), a complex spiritual belief system involving ancestral beings who created the land and its features. The Dreaming is both a cosmology and a guide for moral conduct, emphasizing the interconnectedness of people, nature, and ancestors.
The Asmat people of Papua (Indonesia) are renowned for their carved wood bis poles, which are created as part of elaborate funeral rituals. These poles honor the dead and carry a social obligation for the living to avenge or fulfill the spirits’ needs. The artistry symbolizes life, death, and regeneration.
The Easter Islanders (Rapa Nui) constructed massive stone statues known as moai, which often feature red stone pukao (topknots) and coral eyes. These figures represented deified ancestors and served as spiritual protectors of the people and land, emphasizing the importance of ancestry in governance and spiritual life.
Hawaiians made ‘ahu‘ula (feather cloaks) for chiefs and royalty. The making of these cloaks involved chanting the names of ancestors, which imbued the garments with mana, or spiritual power. This ritual connected the present wearer with a powerful lineage of protection and authority.
Marquesans (from the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia) held tattooing as a sacred rite, a visual language of identity and status. The tufunga tā moko (tattoo artist) played a spiritual role, and men continued to receive tattoos throughout their lives, marking life milestones and connecting them to ancestral traditions.
Each culture reflects a profound integration of art, ritual, and spiritual belief.
