Editing Wallis and Futuna (section)

===Early humans===
The earliest signs of human habitation on these islands are artifacts characteristic of the [[Lapita culture]], dating roughly to between 850 and 800 BCE. The islands served as natural stopover points for boat traffic, mostly between [[Fiji]] and [[Samoa]]. During Tongan invasions in the 15th and 16th centuries, the islands defended themselves with varying levels of resistance, but also accepted varying degrees of assimilation. Futuna retained more of its pre-[[Tongan culture|Tongan cultural features]], while Wallis underwent greater fundamental changes in its society, language, and culture.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Sand |first=Christophe |year=2006 |title=A View from the West: Samoa in the Culture History of 'Uvea (Wallis) and Futuna (Western Polynesia) |journal=The Journal of Sāmoa Studies |volume=2 |pages=5–15}}</ref> The original inhabitants built forts and other identifiable structures on the islands (many of which are in ruins), some of which are still partially intact. Oral history and archaeological evidence suggests that the Tongan invaders re-occupied and modified some of these structures. The oral history also preserves a cultural memory of relationships between Samoa and Futuna that are so longstanding, they are described in the islanders' origin stories.<ref name=":0"/>