tiki
tiki
Māori/Polynesian
“Sacred Polynesian ancestors became kitschy bar decorations — and are now being reclaimed.”
In Polynesian cultures, tiki are carved figures representing ancestors or gods. In Māori tradition, Tiki was the first man. The figures were sacred, placed at temples and meeting houses.
American soldiers returning from the Pacific after WWII brought back a fascination with 'tropical' aesthetics. Tiki bars opened across America, decorating with fake Polynesian carvings.
For decades, tiki culture was campy Americana — mai tais, grass skirts, and mass-produced 'tikis' with no connection to their sacred origins. Many Pacific Islanders found this deeply offensive.
Today there's a reckoning. Some tiki bars are closing; others are educating customers about real Polynesian culture. The word 'tiki' carries all this history.
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Today
Tiki now carries a complicated weight: sacred ancestor, cultural appropriation, retro Americana, and the ongoing reclamation of Polynesian identity.
The word asks us to consider who gets to use other cultures' sacred symbols, and how.
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