The Indigenous people of Oceania encompass Aboriginal Australians, Papuans, and Austronesians (Melanesians, Micronesians, and Polynesians), who maintain deep historical continuity with their pre-colonial societies across their territories. While many form the majority population, this term differs from "Pacific Islanders," which typically excludes Aboriginal Australians. The region was settled in waves from Southeast Asia over centuries, but later faced American, European, and Japanese colonial expansion that often marginalized or displaced original populations.

Although many nations gained independence in the 20th century, indigenous groups like the Chamorros of Guam and Native Hawaiians continue to seek recognition in territories still under external administration. Polynesian navigators demonstrated incredible exploration, reaching Easter Island by 700 AD, New Zealand around 1250 AD (the last major landmass settled by humans), and the Chatham Islands by 1500 AD. However, fascinatingly, some habitable islands like the Galápagos and Lord Howe Island were never reached by any indigenous populations before European contact, remaining uninhabited by humans for millennia.