Tahiti of ocean, was made possible by using outrigger canoes that were up to twenty or thirty meters long and could transport families as well as domestic animals. In 1769, for instance, James Cook mentions a great traditional ship ("va'a") in Tahiti that was long, and could be propelled by sail or paddles. In 2010, an expedition on a simple outrigger canoe with a sail retraced the route back from Tahiti to Asia. Before the arrival of the Europeans the island was divided into different chiefdoms, very precise territories dominated by a single clan. These chiefdoms were linked to each other
Paul Gauguin Museum (Tahiti) Paul Gauguin Museum (Tahiti) The Paul Gauguin Museum () is a Japanese-styled art museum dedicated to the life and works of Paul Gauguin in Tahiti, French Polynesia. The museum has been "closed for renovations" since 2013. The museum is located at PK 51, 2 Papeari, Tahiti, directly across from the Botanical Gardens. French Polynesian and Marquesan cultural aspects are represented in its exhibits, which include original Paul Gauguin documents, photographs, reproductions, sculptures, engravings and gouaches. Also included and unseen in years are some of his sketches and block prints. Original paintings of Tahiti and Moorea by Englishwoman Constance Gordon-Cumming are