Oscar Temaru
French Blunders Anger All Sides in Polynesia
French rule over the Tahitians is a constant reminder that remote colonial governments can be incredibly out of touch with the sensitivities of people they are governing. In an earlier era, colonial powers didn’t care about the desires of subject peoples, but now they pretend to—at least at times. Frequent blunders, such as ones by […]
Political Rivalries in Tahiti [journal article review]
Political rivalries, popular demonstrations, and disruptive electioneering tarnished the chaotic election campaigns of late 2004 and early 2005 in French Polynesia. Political events at the time were easy enough to keep track of, but the underlying political and social forces were not effectively analyzed by the press at the time. Correcting that lack, Anne-Christine Trémon, […]
French Atomic Bomb Tests Have Caused Cancer in Tahiti
The French government medical researcher concluded his letter with an ominous statement: “the atmospheric nuclear tests conducted by France contributed to increasing the incidence of thyroid cancer in French Polynesia.” For the first time, a French government official has admitted what the Tahitians have suspected for many years—their high rate of cancer is caused by […]
Tahitians Protest—and Reconcile with Kava
Annual reviews of news from the previous year can be especially boring unless the focus is on unfamiliar events and fascinating places. In a Pacific Magazine story of January 2 reviewing the past year in French Polynesia, some interesting tidbits suggest the ways the Tahitians handle controversial situations. We learn from the news story that […]
Reformers Win Tahitian Elections But Deadlock Remains
The reformist party of Oscar Temaru has won the bi-election in Tahiti on February 13, according to reports from BBC News, but he does not have a majority of seats in the Assembly. His Union for Democracy appears to have won 25 out of the 37 seats contested on Sunday while the party of Gaston […]
