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

Showing posts with label Fishing. Show all posts

Different Ways Of Catching Fish Along The Shore.

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Women and girls catching fish in the shallows with nets. F-7

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: Women, shallow water, nets, carrying baskets.

A Day When You're Fishing Beats A Day At School

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Children rush to help with the fishing. FIS-302

Photo, Front: Taina Finau Yalikanace.

Search Terms: Boy, girl, water, Fiji.

Children, By The Dozens, Fish Together In Ono

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Adults lead children in fishing expedition. FIS-177

Search Terms: Ocean, shallow, coastline, spear, coconut fronds, children, fishing, Lau.

Straightening The Spear On A Fishing Expedition

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Homemade spears made of wood and umbrella spokes or coat hangers. FIS-191

Search Terms: Boys, girls, fishing, shallow waters, spear, Fiji.

Hurry! Get Into A Circle!

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Young men give directions, as children rush to form a fishing circle. FIS-181

Search Terms: Ocean, palm fronds, children, takia, fishing, Fiji.

Young Woman Leads Girls In Fishing Expedition

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Young women lead smaller girls in netting for fish. FIS-220

Search Terms: Ocean, shallow water, fishing, net, girls, woman.

Dozens Of Young Children Encircle Fish To Spear

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Small island, many competent fishermen. All under the age of 15. FIS-222

Search Terms: Ocean, shallows, boys, girls, spears, fishing.

Large Group Of Boys & Girls Bringing In The Fish

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Tangle of fishermen, coconut fronds and fish. FIS-224

Search Terms: Girls, boys, ocean, fishing, coconut palms.

Fishing Near The Shore

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Children fishing in knee deep water. FIS-176

Search Terms: Group, fishing, schoolchildren, Fiji Islands.

Women & Girls Pull In Net

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Using a net to fish. FIS-17

Search Terms: Women, fishing, OnoiLau, shallow water, nets.

What A Tiny Fish!

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Boys laugh at the size of the catch. FIS-331

Search Terms: Boys, spear, coconut palms, beach, fish.

Boys On A Successful Fishing Trip

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
A large group of children in Ono-i-Lau, with fish they have speared. F-9

Search Terms: Boys, girls, spears, ocean, fish, Lau.

Back From Udui

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Women carry shellfish from Udui Island after walking there at low tide. F-26

Search Terms: Women, coconut trees, beach, woven baskets, shellfishing.

Women Bring Shellfish Home

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Women return from gathering shellfish. F-39

Search Terms: Beach, coconut palms, coconut frond basket and rope, women fishing.

Crowd Of Boys & Young Men Catch Fish

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Dozens of young people gather to catch fish in shallow waters off shore. F-47

Women With Nets, Fishing Off Shore At Ono-i-Lau

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Women fishing with nets. F-102

Fishing With A Wooden Spear

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Looking for seafood in the shallows. F-57

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

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

Fishing In Ono-i-Lau

Different Ways Of Catching Fish Along The Shore.

Women Fishing Along The Shore

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Women and girls catching fish in the shallows with nets. F-7

A Day When You're Fishing Beats A Day At School

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Children rush to help with the fishing. FIS-302

Photo, Front: Taina Finau Yalikanace.

Children, By The Dozens, Fish Together In Ono

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Adults lead children in fishing expedition. FIS-177

Straightening The Spear On A Fishing Expedition

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Homemade spears made of wood and umbrella spokes or coat hangers. FIS-191

Hurry! Get Into A Circle!

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Young men give directions, as children rush to form a fishing circle. FIS-181

Young Woman Leads Girls In Fishing Expedition

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Young women lead smaller girls in netting for fish. FIS-220

Dozens Of Young Children Encircle Fish To Spear

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Small island, many competent fishermen. All under the age of 15. FIS-222

Large Group Of Boys & Girls Bringing In The Fish

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Tangle of fishermen, coconut fronds and fish. FIS-224

Fishing Near The Shore

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Children fishing in knee deep water. FIS-176

Women & Girls Pull In Net

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Using a net to fish. FIS-17

What A Tiny Fish!

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Boys laugh at the size of the catch. FIS-331

Boys On A Successful Fishing Trip

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
A large group of children in Ono-i-Lau, with fish they have speared. F-9

Back From Udui

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Women carry shellfish from Udui Island after walking there at low tide. F-26

Women Bring Shellfish Home

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Women return from gathering shellfish. F-39

Crowd Of Boys & Young Men Catch Fish

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Dozens of young people gather to catch fish in shallow waters off shore. F-47

Women With Nets, Fishing Off Shore At Ono-i-Lau

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Women fishing with nets. F-102

Fishing With A Wooden Spear

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Looking for seafood in the shallows. F-57

Different Ways Of Catching Fish Along The Shore.

Ono-i-Lau, FijiWomen and girls catching fish in the shallows with nets. F-7

Ono-i-Lau, FijiChildren rush to help with the fishing. FIS-302

Photo, Front: Taina Finau Yalikanace.

Ono-i-Lau, FijiAdults lead children in fishing expedition. FIS-177

Ono-i-Lau, FijiHomemade spears made of wood and umbrella spokes or coat hangers. FIS-191

Ono-i-Lau, FijiYoung men give directions, as children rush to form a fishing circle. FIS-181

Ono-i-Lau, FijiYoung women lead smaller girls in netting for fish. FIS-220

Ono-i-Lau, FijiSmall island, many competent fishermen. All under the age of 15. FIS-222

Ono-i-Lau, FijiTangle of fishermen, coconut fronds and fish. FIS-224

Ono-i-Lau, FijiChildren fishing in knee deep water. FIS-176

Ono-i-Lau, FijiUsing a net to fish. FIS-17

Ono-i-Lau, FijiBoys laugh at the size of the catch. FIS-331

Ono-i-Lau, FijiA large group of children in Ono-i-Lau, with fish they have speared. F-9

Ono-i-Lau, FijiWomen carry shellfish from Udui Island after walking there at low tide. F-26

Ono-i-Lau, FijiWomen return from gathering shellfish. F-39

Ono-i-Lau, FijiDozens of young people gather to catch fish in shallow waters off shore. F-47

Ono-i-Lau, FijiWomen fishing with nets. F-102

Ono-i-Lau, FijiLooking for seafood in the shallows. F-57

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Women and girls catching fish in the shallows with nets. F-7

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Children rush to help with the fishing. FIS-302

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Adults lead children in fishing expedition. FIS-177

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Homemade spears made of wood and umbrella spokes or coat hangers. FIS-191

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Young men give directions, as children rush to form a fishing circle. FIS-181

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Young women lead smaller girls in netting for fish. FIS-220

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Small island, many competent fishermen. All under the age of 15. FIS-222

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Tangle of fishermen, coconut fronds and fish. FIS-224

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Children fishing in knee deep water. FIS-176

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Using a net to fish. FIS-17

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Boys laugh at the size of the catch. FIS-331

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
A large group of children in Ono-i-Lau, with fish they have speared. F-9

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Women carry shellfish from Udui Island after walking there at low tide. F-26

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Women return from gathering shellfish. F-39

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Dozens of young people gather to catch fish in shallow waters off shore. F-47

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Women fishing with nets. F-102

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Looking for seafood in the shallows. F-57