Tower of text imminent...
It's apparent the extent of "civilization" for most, if not all Polynesian societies, has been obfuscated by Western colonization in the region. No doubt, the masses of Polynesian naysayers can't be blamed for not hearing about the true history of these Polynesian civilizations in Western schools. Here's some enlightenment from the perspective that I do have knowledge of...
Kānaka Maoli (aka Hawaiians) are thought to be one of the more scientifically & politically advanced Polynesian civilizations. A number of science programs studying sustainable technologies in various universities today are studying water engineering theories perfected by Kānaka Maoli in their aquaculture practices nearly 500 years before Europe's agricultural revolution.
Archibald Menzies, a naturalist serving with Captain George Vancouver wrote about a Hawai'i in 1794,
"Even the shelving cliffs of rocks were planted with esculent roots, banked in and watered by aqueducts from the rivulet with as much art as if their level had been taken by the most ingenious engineer. We could not indeed but admire the laudable ingenuity of these people in cultivating their soil with so much economy. The indefatigable labor in making these little fields in so rugged a situation, the care and industry with which they were transplanted, watered and kept in order, surpassed anything we had seen ever before. It showed in a conspicuous manner the ingenuity of the inhabitants in modifying their husbandry to different situations of soil and exposure, and it was with no small degree of pleasure we here beheld their labor rewarded with productive crops."
Both Captain Cook and Vancouver were amazed by the advancement of Hawaiian societies as they made note in their own respective journals. Captain Cook made mention of the Hawaiian's military might, the ferocity of their warriors who even the Zulu paled in comparison to; averaging heights near 7 ft. -- and of course, Captain Cook was killed by these same warriors.
Ruling Chiefs of Hawai'i by Samuel Kamakau is a primary source for Hawaiian warfare and politics of antiquity. Within this source, the warrior legends of Hawai'i are brought to life, standing in prestige with China's romance of the Three Kingdoms. We hear about Hawai'i's Niuhi warriors (tiger shark warriors); battlemasters who in order to prove their fearlessness and prowess, had to swim out to sea, kill a tiger shark with a dagger, drag the shark to shore, and eat its eye pulled from the carcass. We hear about the 'Ehu clan and its bone-crushers -- giant men with red hair, who snapped other men in half with their brute strength. We also hear about the Kīpu'up'u warriors, named after the stabbing rain of their homelands -- so named because they would rain spears down onto their opponents in battle, which would literally block out the sun.
In 1843, the Hawaiian Kingdom was internationally recognized as a sovereign Nation-State by England, France, and the United States by way of treaty -- and soon after, over 50 other nations. Hawaiians are the only Polynesian society to have ever achieved such a political status and, despite common belief, still maintains that status as its sovereignty was never relinquished through treaty or by conquest (Hawai'i was a neutral Nation-State). Today, this status is being reviewed in the U.N. Security council and in the courts of Washington D.C. in regard to the de-occupation of Hawai'i by the United States and its future independence.
It was during the Hawaiian Kingdom era that Hawai'i's 'Iolani Palace and the surrounding city had electricity installed long before the White House. The Hawaiian people and subsequently, the Hawaiian Nation, was regarded as the most literate country in the world. There was absolutely no homelessness, free medical, and free education as the Hawaiian Nation's constitutions ensured the well-fare of the people.
Just saying...