Cultures in Oceania are a reflection of native groups including Australian Aboriginals, Polynesians, Melanesians, and Micronesians. The indigenous population includes black skinned, land bound aborigines of Australia and New Guinea and they are known to speak ancient languages. There are some tribal divisions and cultural differences which do exist. The development of the Polynesian cultures came mainly from the Lapita culture with ancestry which can be traced back to Southeast Asia. Oceania has a very unique blend of not only smaller, but older cultures which exist similar to North America and Europe.
The tribal societies of the Polynesians are well known for their history of war and their navigation skills. There are famous dances and music unique to this region such as the Haka from the New Zealand Maori and the Hula which are all still performed by Hawaiian dancers in present day. Art such as tattoos have always been revered as an important expression in Polynesian culture. Polynesians believe in individual gods and spirits. Micronesian cultures are closely related to the Polynesian cultures touting famous customs such as kava drinking and tattooing and hunting using a bow and arrow. Micronesian societies were made up of clan groupings and research indicates that the land was traditionally owned by the clans. The Papuan, Austronesian and Melanesian cultures managed to co-exist for many years and can be traced back to New Guineau where communal ownership of land was prevalent in Oceania. Further, since Oceania happens to cover a large part of Australia and New Zealand, there is a predominant western culture that still exists today.
