Daily Life In Ono-i-Lau, Fiji 50 Years Ago : At Home In Ono

Showing posts with label At Home In Ono. Show all posts

A Look At Ono-i-Lau Life.

Typical Ono Bure In The 1970's

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Bure with wooden walls and thatched roof. H-27

Copyright © 1970-2019, Northcountry Communications, Inc. These photos were taken on Ono-i-Lau by LInda Weld. All rights reserved. Photos & stories cannot be used without written permission. Contact Linda by email.

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
In the village. H-258

Copyright © 1970-2019, Northcountry Communications, Inc. These photos were taken on Ono-i-Lau by LInda Weld. All rights reserved. Photos & stories cannot be used without written permission. Contact Linda by email.

Search Terms: Banana plants, tin, building, stovepipe, thatching, bure.

Minding The Store

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
The Vasara Store in the 1970's. AH-132

Search Terms: Shelves, young man, cloth, clothing, for sale, store, counter, Fiji.

At Home In Ono, 1971

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Two bures in Ono. AH-260

Search Terms: Tin roof, bure, trees, open lawns, Fiji.

Working Outdoors

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Woman in Ono-i-Lau. AH-261

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Women Under The Trees In Ono

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Two women and a girl. AH-229

Search Terms: Women, path, coconuts, tropical trees, banana plant, kitchen, bure, coconut trees, drying rack, sunshine.

Storekeeper At Ono-i-Lau Vasara Store

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji

Storekeeper: Luke Cakau
Matches, aspirin, kerosene, soap, mackerel, tea…. AH-262

Search Terms: Shelves, store, items, island life, Coleman lantern, counter, shopkeeper.

Outdoor Life In A Warm & Balmy World

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Woman and child enjoy a casual, yet productive morning. H-301

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Girls On Porch Of Vasara Store

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Schoolgirls. BG-218

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Background

Ono-i-Lau is, by far, the remotest community in Fiji. There are six tiny islands within the reef at Ono-i-Lau. On Onolevu, the largest island, there are three villages: Nukuni, Lovoni and Matokana. There's a fourth village, Doi, on another island. These photos were all taken on Onolevu.

From 1970 to 1972, Ono was reached by either copra boat or a larger boat, the Uluilakeba. Boats came very rarely, every few months, bringing mail and goods for the store, and taking back copra and other items, along with passengers. Tragically, the Uluilakeba sank in a storm, with Ono people on board, in December, 1973. The ship went down only a year after the last of these photographs was taken.

Although sugar, salt, tea, and other basic items entered the island through the store, much of what people ate came from the island itself: Shellfish, fish, octopus, land crabs, bananas, leafy vegetables, coconut, root crops, breadfruit… and, during special times, pork, chicken and beef.

In the early 1970's, copra was the cash crop. Many residents were Methodists, and attended the Methodist church. Onolevu District School, which ended in Class 8, had a large number of students. In October, 1970, Fiji gained independence from Great Britain.

Everyone in Ono walked everywhere; there were no vehicles. Sometimes older boys rode the family horses. All boats were classic takias, or outrigger canoes, in the Fijian tradition.

Fiji's indigenous people come from two different roots. Western Fiji is Melanesian. The islands in the eastern, or Lau group, are Polynesian. In some ways, Ono is almost Tongan. Its art, the physical appearance of its people, and even the language all tend toward the Polynesian.

For example, the Fijian "v" was not used in Ono. It was replaced by the very Polynesian "p." In Western Fiji, that most basic of foods, the pig, is known as "vuaka." But, in Ono, a pig is a "puaka."

About These Photos

When we went to Ono 50 years ago, we were very young and just married. The people of Onolevu taught us many things. We hope this portrait of local life reveals the warmth, capabilities, dignity and confidence that we saw in the people of Ono. We think these photos of everyday life show the lessons we learned:

1. Working together is important.

2. Division of labour gets the job done.

3. Make time for yourself, your family, and your community.

4. Men, women and children all have equal value.

5. Respect tradition.

Linda & Jeremy Weld

Peace Corps Volunteers, Fiji IV

Onolevu District School

Sitiveni Gaunavinaka, Headmaster

A Look At Ono-i-Lau Life.

Ono-i-Lau, FijiBure with wooden walls and thatched roof. H-27

Copyright © 1970-2019, Northcountry Communications, Inc. These photos were taken on Ono-i-Lau by LInda Weld. All rights reserved. Photos & stories cannot be used without written permission. Contact Linda by email.

Ono-i-Lau, FijiIn the village. H-258

Ono-i-Lau, FijiThe Vasara Store in the 1970's. AH-132

Ono-i-Lau, FijiTwo bures in Ono. AH-260

Ono-i-Lau, FijiWoman in Ono-i-Lau. AH-261

Ono-i-Lau, FijiTwo women and a girl. AH-229

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji

Storekeeper: Luke CakauMatches, aspirin, kerosene, soap, mackerel, tea…. AH-262

Ono-i-Lau, FijiWoman and child enjoy a casual, yet productive morning. H-301

Ono-i-Lau, FijiSchoolgirls. BG-218

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Bure with wooden walls and thatched roof. H-27

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
In the village. H-258

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
The Vasara Store in the 1970's. AH-132

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Two bures in Ono. AH-260

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Woman in Ono-i-Lau. AH-261

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Two women and a girl. AH-229

Storekeeper: Luke Cakau
Matches, aspirin, kerosene, soap, mackerel, tea…. AH-262

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Woman and child enjoy a casual, yet productive morning. H-301

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Schoolgirls. BG-218