Catching the Drift: Impacts of Oceanic Drift Material in the Marshall Islands

Vander Velde, Nancy; Vander Velde, Brian (November 2006). "Catching the Drift: Impacts of Oceanic Drift Material in the Marshall Islands". Micronesian Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences. Albury, NSW: HeritageFutures International. 5 (1/2): 431–449. ISSN 1449-7336.

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Abstract: The Marshall Islands, situated in the Central Pacific, are far from any major landmass. However, by means of oceanic drift, they are connected with virtually all the Pacific. This paper reviews how the types of drift from various areas have impacted the lives of people on the Marshall Islands. The local language, canoe construction, tools, food, agriculture and other aspects of the culture have been influenced by oceanic drift, with the effects continuing to the present.