Oceanian Death Practices
A geographic region in the Southern hemisphere, Oceania includes the continent of Australia, New Zealand, and over 10,000 smaller islands with a total land mass (excluding Australia) of over 317,000 square miles.The exact composition of the region varies according to who is describing it. In the broadest sense, it includes all of the Pacific islands between Asia and the Americas. But most geographers exclude the islands most closely associated with the Asian mainland, such as the Ryukyu, Kuril, and Aleutian islands and the Japanese archipelago, as well as Indonesia, Taiwan, and the Philippines. In the most restrictive sense it includes Australasia (Australia and New Zealand), Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. With the exception of Australasia, most of Oceania was uninhabited until about 33,000 years ago; most historians believe that the original inhabitants were Southeast Asians who arrived in the region on canoes.Oceania is home to many indigenous cultures, including the Maoris of New Zealand and Aboriginal Australians, who comprise about 250 distinct cultural groups. Although colonization has resulted in many of the inhabitants embracing European ways, for many Pacific islanders, traditional belief systems, including practices around death and dying, still persist. Read on to learn more about the death practices of the people of Oceania.
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Oceania Death Practices
December 17th, 2025A geographic region in the Southern hemisphere, Oceania includes the continent of Australia, New Zealand, and over 10,000 smaller islands with a total land mass (excluding Australia) of over 317,000 square miles.The exact composition of the region varies according to who is describing it. In the broadest sense, it includes all of the Pacific islands between Asia and the Americas. But most geographers exclude the islands most closely associated with the Asian mainland, such as the Ryukyu, Kuril, and Aleutian islands and the Japanese archipelago, as well as Indonesia, Taiwan, and the Philippines. In the most restrictive sense it includes Australasia (Australia and New Zealand), Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia.
With the exception of Australasia, most of Oceania was uninhabited until about 33,000 years ago; most historians believe that the original inhabitants were Southeast Asians who arrived in the region on canoes.Oceania is home to many indigenous cultures, including the Maoris of New Zealand and Aboriginal Australians, who comprise about 250 distinct cultural groups. Although colonization has resulted in many of the inhabitants embracing European ways, for many Pacific islanders, traditional belief systems, including practices around death and dying, still persist.
Read on to learn more about the death practices of the people of Oceania.
New Guineans
Australians
Some Aboriginal Australian Tribes Practice Open-Air Burial To Ceremonially Dispose Of The Dead.
New Zealanders
The Maori People Of New Zealand Practice Elaborate Rituals Around Death, Mourning And Remembrance.
Ancient Maori Tribes Used “Ta Moko” Tattoos To Memorialize The Dead
Gilbertese (island of Kiribati)
Samoans
In Traditional Somoan Culture, Deaths Are Announced By An Orator Known As A Tulafale