The exhibit explores a longtime focus of Bishop Museum scientists: the origins of the Pacific peoples. Among the artifacts will be rare national treasures from China that have never traveled outside of that country, pieces that give evidence of seafaring civilizations that gave birth to the Austronesians — a group that includes Polynesians, Melanesians, Micronesians and the indigenous people of the Southeast Asian archipelago.

Volunteers will be asked to serve one four-hour shift weekly and must be available to attend a training session with Tianlong Jiao, chair of the Bishop Museum anthropology department, and senior science educator Heidi Lennstrom, to be held 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Feb. 17.