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

Showing posts with label Small Children. Show all posts

The Littlest Of Children.

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Surprised Child. SC-30

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.

Young Girl

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Delighted little girl. SC-154

Little Girl, Thinking

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Small child, portrait. SC-156

Very Young Boy In Ono

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Little boy. SC-157

Four Young Girls Looking Pretty

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
At the beach. SC-160

Little Boy Watches Older Brother Work

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Two boys gathering coconuts. SC-161

Mother With Child In Typical Ono Home

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Young mother with small children at home. SC-136

Playing House In A Wood Crate Sent From Suva

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Very small children with their playhouse in Ono. SM-164

Children Play Along The Seaside

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Children playing in the water. SC-166

Little Boys Of Ono-i-Lau

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Children laughing. SC-167

Little Girls With A Secret

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Whisperers. SC-8

Children Play In Freshwater Pond On Ono-i-Lau

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Young girls on Ono, playing in a freshwater pond.. C-15

Mother & Child In Ono-i-Lau

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Portrait: Young mother with baby. SC-40

Young Boys Practice Drumming At Christmas Time

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Little boys, allowed to play around on the school's lali during the holidays. C-69

Young Girl Of Ono

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Portrait of girl in flowered dress. C-122

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.

Swinging Through An Island Morning

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Small child plays on a rope and burlap swing beside the household kitchen. VL-71

Homemade Toy Outrigger

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Young boy plays with his toy outrigger canoe (takia) on the beach as older children assemble behind him in the water to help catch fish. C-75

Sleeping Baby

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Woman with sleeping baby on a pandanus mat. SC-55

Two Young Boys & A Cooking Pot

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Children in the kitchen yard. SC-155

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

The Littlest Of Children.

Ono-i-Lau, FijiSurprised Child. SC-30

Ono-i-Lau, FijiDelighted little girl. SC-154

Ono-i-Lau, FijiSmall child, portrait. SC-156

Ono-i-Lau, FijiLittle boy. SC-157

Ono-i-Lau, FijiAt the beach. SC-160

Ono-i-Lau, FijiTwo boys gathering coconuts. SC-161

Ono-i-Lau, FijiYoung mother with small children at home. SC-136

Ono-i-Lau, FijiVery small children with their playhouse in Ono. SM-164

Ono-i-Lau, FijiChildren playing in the water. SC-166

Ono-i-Lau, FijiChildren laughing. SC-167

Ono-i-Lau, FijiWhisperers. SC-8

Ono-i-Lau, FijiYoung girls on Ono, playing in a freshwater pond.. C-15

Ono-i-Lau, FijiPortrait: Young mother with baby. SC-40

Ono-i-Lau, FijiLittle boys, allowed to play around on the school's lali during the holidays. C-69

Ono-i-Lau, FijiPortrait of girl in flowered dress. C-122

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, FijiSmall child plays on a rope and burlap swing beside the household kitchen. VL-71

Ono-i-Lau, FijiYoung boy plays with his toy outrigger canoe (takia) on the beach as older children assemble behind him in the water to help catch fish. C-75

Ono-i-Lau, FijiWoman with sleeping baby on a pandanus mat. SC-55

Ono-i-Lau, FijiChildren in the kitchen yard. SC-155

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Surprised Child. SC-30

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Delighted little girl. SC-154

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Small child, portrait. SC-156

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Little boy. SC-157

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
At the beach. SC-160

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Two boys gathering coconuts. SC-161

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Young mother with small children at home. SC-136

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Very small children with their playhouse in Ono. SM-164

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Children playing in the water. SC-166

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Children laughing. SC-167

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Whisperers. SC-8

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Young girls on Ono, playing in a freshwater pond.. C-15

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Portrait: Young mother with baby. SC-40

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Little boys, allowed to play around on the school's lali during the holidays. C-69

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Portrait of girl in flowered dress. C-122

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Small child plays on a rope and burlap swing beside the household kitchen. VL-71

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Young boy plays with his toy outrigger canoe (takia) on the beach as older children assemble behind him in the water to help catch fish. C-75

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Woman with sleeping baby on a pandanus mat. SC-55

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Children in the kitchen yard. SC-155