These names may not have started with us — but they’ll be remembered because of us.”
— Nesian Kulture

Let’s Talk About It.

Recently, someone said we shouldn’t embrace or use the labels Polynesian, Micronesian, and Melanesian.
They said those names came from European colonisation and we should leave them in the past.

We hear that.
And we understand where that feeling comes from.
The pain is real. The history is real.
But so is our purpose and we’re not here to erase, we’re here to reclaim.

That Was Then — But This Is Now

Yes, those terms were introduced during colonisation.
Yes, they were used to group us without our consent.
But today? Those same names are helping millions of our people feel seen.

We’re in a new era now.
And the perception of those names is changing because of us.

Ask any young Islander proudly saying “I’m Poly.”
Ask the Micronesian teen seeing her culture on a tee for the first time.
Ask the Melanesian dad who smiles when strangers recognize his flag.

The World Knows Us By These Names And That’s Not a Bad Thing

You want to talk about global impact?

Let’s name just a few Pacific Islanders who’ve helped put us on the map:

• 🎬 Moana — Inspired by Polynesian heritage, watched by over a billion people

• 🪓 Jason Momoa (Hawaiian) — A warrior on screen, honouring his roots off it

• 🎭 Temuera Morrison (Māori) — Star Wars. Aquaman. Boba Fett.

• 🎤 Dinah Jane (Tongan) — Voice of Fifth Harmony, honouring Pasifika culture

• 💪🏽 The Rock (Dwayne Johnson) — Global icon. Samoan heritage, front and centre

• 📣 Kathy Jetn̄il‑Kijiner (Marshall Islands, Micronesia) — Poet & climate envoy who brought Micronesian voices to the global stage with her 2014 UN poem “Dear Matafele Peinem”, and co-founder of youth-led NGO Jo‑Jikum, spotlighting Micronesian identity in the climate movement

• 🧭 Mau Piailug (Satawal, Yap – Micronesia) — Grandmaster navigator who taught Hawaiians how to voyage the Pacific using traditional star-wayfinding, sparking a cultural revival and global respect for Micronesian navigation heritage

• George “Fiji” Veikoso — Fijian musician who elevated Pacific reggae globally

These names — Polynesian. Micronesian. Melanesian. — aren’t bringing shame.
They’re bringing global recognition, culture, and connection.

I’m Polynesian. And I Say That With Honour.

When someone asks if I’m Poly, I say:

Yes. I am. With honour. With strength. With mana.

And I say the same with love and respect for every Islander 
from Micronesia, Melanesia, Polynesia all of us, from the Pacific.

We’re not bound by old labels.
We’re not divided by names.
We’re united by who we are and how we carry that identity forward.

So Why Still Use These Names? Because We’re Giving Them New Meaning.

We’re not clinging to colonisation.
We’re reclaiming recognition.

The world finally sees us.
And instead of turning our backs, we choose to turn it into power for our youth, for our families, for our future.

Let’s Break It Down...What’s Really the Problem?

Some of us say, “Don’t use the names Polynesian, Micronesian, or Melanesian, they’re not ours.”

But we want to ask you this:

Is it the name that bothers you or what it reminds you of?

Because yeah, these names came from a time when we weren’t given a say.
But today, we’re giving them new meaning.

At Nesian Kulture, we’re not pretending the history didn’t happen.
We know where these words came from.

But we also know what we’re doing now and it’s powerful.

We’re taking those same names...
and using them to lift up our people.
To show our children they belong.
To show the world who we are.

These names don’t hold us down anymore.
We’ve turned them into something our people can stand on.

They may have been placed on us in the past...
But now? They represent us because we choose to make them mean something.

And when the world remembers Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia,
they’ll remember us, not as victims, but as leaders.

Our Mission Isn’t About Labels...It’s About Legacy

At Nesian Kulture, we design more than just apparel.
We tell stories. We carry history. We start conversations.

We’re here to give voice, value, and visibility to our people across all the islands.

So yes, we will continue to say Polynesian, Micronesian, Melanesian 
Not because we’re clinging to colonisation,
but because we’re carving a new future with those names in our hands.

This Is Our Time. And We’re Not Waiting For Permission.

So to every Islander — whether you agree or not — we invite you into this conversation.
Let’s honour our past, but not get stuck in it.
Let’s lead our people forward, united, visible, and strong.

Because this isn’t just about a name.
It’s about how we carry it.
With purpose. With power. With honour.

Wear it. Share it. Pass it on. The legacy is only just beginning and it begins with us.