Kanaka was the term for a worker from various Pacific Islands employed in British colonies, such as British Columbia (Canada), Fiji and Queensland (Australia) in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
They also worked in California and Chile (see Easter Island and Rapanui people as related subjects).The word "kanaka" originally referred only to native Hawaiians, called kānaka ʻōiwi or kānaka maoli in the Hawaiʻian language.
Until 2009, several rough translations of the word "Kanak" were admitted : "man", " animal man ", " wild man " were the most used.
In its resolution n°5195, the Academy of the Polynesian languages Pa ' umotu specified a definition more faithful to the primal Polynesian language Mamaka Kaïo of origin, that of " free man ".
