The Magellan-Elcano expedition made a stop on the island of Guam, in the Islas Marianas, which the sailors referred to as the “Island of Thieves.” However, for the representation of the Oceanian continent in the Desembarco (Lehorreratzea), it was decided to take as a reference a people more easily recognizable to today’s public.

Although the expedition came into contact with peoples of the western Pacific, there is no single specific community that can be directly linked to represent Oceania in the event. As the aim is to symbolically represent all the continents of the world, Oceania has also been included through a visually identifiable proposal.

For this reason, inspiration was drawn from characteristic elements of the Māori people of Nueva Zelanda. The Māori are among the most internationally recognizable Indigenous cultures of Oceania. Traditionally, they crafted their garments and ornaments from native plant fibers and the skins of birds and other animals. There was a wide variety of clothing, including many types of cloaks. Garments, adornments, and even hairstyles conveyed information about a person’s social status, and finely made clothing enhanced prestige.

For the costume, the piupiu was chosen—a skirt made of hanging strips, whose name can be translated as “to swing” or “to sway.” It could be worn around the waist or draped over one shoulder, and it was produced in different materials and styles depending on its function and the wearer’s rank.

Special emphasis has also been placed on facial decoration characteristic of some Pacific Island peoples, particularly those associated with Māori tradition. Tattooing goes far beyond mere decoration; it carries deep cultural and spiritual meaning. In Māori tradition, it forms part of the rite of passage from youth to adulthood and symbolizes rank, position, and prestige within the community.

While men could have extensive facial tattoos, women traditionally wore tattooing concentrated on the chin, lips, and sometimes the nose, always preserving its sacred and identity-based significance.