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

Showing posts with label Preparing Food. Show all posts

Food Of The Tropics.

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Coconut frond basket with feast food in Ono. PF-10

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.

Watching The Lovo

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Men prepare a lovo for Sunday meal. PF-134

Root Crops For Children's Feast At School

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
The table is being set. PF-241

Girl Chops Coconuts With An Axe

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Girl cuts coconuts for supper. PF-236

Starting Up The Lovo

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Man obscured by smoke from his lovo. PF-132

Girl Washing Vegetables

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Children helping with meals. PF-237

Two Fish For Dinner

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Fish on a mat. FIS-239

Women Serve Students At School Festival

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Women prepare meals at school events. PF-42

Food On Palms For A School Outdoor Childrens' Feast

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Male adults supervise event. SCH-315

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.

Party For Schoolchildren At Onolevu District School

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Mothers dish out meat and vegetables at a school event. W-4

Cutting Up Pig For Distribution

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Pork is cut with a machete. PF-132

Photo of Noa Yavala

Preparing A "Men's Meal" For The Family

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Island morning. PF-18

Breadfruit For The Underground Oven

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Men prepare food for the lovo. PF-43

Chickens Flock To Coconut Grater

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Boy grates coconut for the family dinner, attracting chickens. PF-48

Smokey Lovo Under Breadfruit Tree

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Man starts up an underground oven for a special dinner. PF-101

Children Sit Down To A Special Meal

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
An outdoor event at Onolevu District School. PF-63

What's For Supper?

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Woven coconut frond basket holding bananas, land crab and breadfruit. PF-116

Boy Watching How Food Is Made

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Man shows a boy how to prepare a feast. VL-78

Food For A Feast

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
A variety of traditional foods, including a roast pig, ready for presentation at an island event. PF-116

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

Food Of The Tropics.

Ono-i-Lau, FijiCoconut frond basket with feast food in Ono. PF-10

Ono-i-Lau, FijiMen prepare a lovo for Sunday meal. PF-134

Ono-i-Lau, FijiThe table is being set. PF-241

Ono-i-Lau, FijiGirl cuts coconuts for supper. PF-236

Ono-i-Lau, FijiMan obscured by smoke from his lovo. PF-132

Ono-i-Lau, FijiChildren helping with meals. PF-237

Ono-i-Lau, FijiFish on a mat. FIS-239

Ono-i-Lau, FijiWomen prepare meals at school events. PF-42

Ono-i-Lau, FijiMale adults supervise event. SCH-315

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, FijiMothers dish out meat and vegetables at a school event. W-4

Ono-i-Lau, FijiPork is cut with a machete. PF-132

Photo of Noa Yavala

Ono-i-Lau, FijiIsland morning. PF-18

Ono-i-Lau, FijiMen prepare food for the lovo. PF-43

Ono-i-Lau, FijiBoy grates coconut for the family dinner, attracting chickens. PF-48

Ono-i-Lau, FijiMan starts up an underground oven for a special dinner. PF-101

Ono-i-Lau, FijiAn outdoor event at Onolevu District School. PF-63

Ono-i-Lau, FijiWoven coconut frond basket holding bananas, land crab and breadfruit. PF-116

Ono-i-Lau, FijiMan shows a boy how to prepare a feast. VL-78

Ono-i-Lau, FijiA variety of traditional foods, including a roast pig, ready for presentation at an island event. PF-116

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Coconut frond basket with feast food in Ono. PF-10

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Men prepare a lovo for Sunday meal. PF-134

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
The table is being set. PF-241

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Girl cuts coconuts for supper. PF-236

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Man obscured by smoke from his lovo. PF-132

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Children helping with meals. PF-237

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Fish on a mat. FIS-239

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Women prepare meals at school events. PF-42

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Male adults supervise event. SCH-315

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Mothers dish out meat and vegetables at a school event. W-4

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Pork is cut with a machete. PF-132

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Island morning. PF-18

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Men prepare food for the lovo. PF-43

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Boy grates coconut for the family dinner, attracting chickens. PF-48

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Man starts up an underground oven for a special dinner. PF-101

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
An outdoor event at Onolevu District School. PF-63

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Woven coconut frond basket holding bananas, land crab and breadfruit. PF-116

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Man shows a boy how to prepare a feast. VL-78

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
A variety of traditional foods, including a roast pig, ready for presentation at an island event. PF-116