The History of the Kava Drink

4. Kava drinking is related to betel chewing in that migrants who were unable to find betel nuts to chew turned to kava for their needs.

5. The most recent and well-argued theory is Vincent Lebot’s idea which uses botanical evidence to prove that it originated somewhere in Melanesia: either on Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, or New Guinea.

When Europeans first made contact with the Pacific islands in the early 18th century, they found a kava drink to play a central role in the islanders’ religious, political and social life (Lebot, 1992: 1).

The natives chewed or pounded the kava root and mixed it with water to produce a kava drink that was brownish, and often bitter brew, which they then consumed for its psychoactive properties. Captain Cook’s voyage to the Pacific in 1768-1771 may have produced the first account of white man encountering the plant and its consumption in sacred ceremonies. A number of writers and scholars have since described this plant and its properties, giving various theories of origin and explanations of use.

Many writings examine the cultural role of kava. Questions such as how is it affected by the introduction and use of alcohol, the commercialization and appropriation of the kava drink, and its use in foreign cultures are some issues that are of interest. Kava drinks are so prevalent in Oceania that it can be seen as the one item in the Pacific peoples’ material culture that connects them across thousands of ocean miles. It is thought to have a similar sociological role comparable to the use of peyote in many Native American tribes, the chewing of coca leaves in Peru and the use of opium in the Middle East and Asia. Although the use of a kava drink has lessened due to missionary prohibitions and introduction of alcohol, which was non-existent in Oceania prior to first contact,, it is still consumed today, most especially in Western Polynesia in both formal and informal ceremonies. There is a growing interest due to political independence and renewed concern for ethnic traditions, which had been clamped down by missionaries and colonization. The kava drink still holds an important position and continues to function as a social beverage, as a medicine for various ailments, and as a soothing relaxant in islands such as Fiji, Tonga and Samoa.