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

Showing posts with label Women. Show all posts

The Women Of Ono-i-Lau.

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Mother with three children. W-21

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.

Woman Making A Basket

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Busy putting together a basket under a tree. W-133

Women & The Wash

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Washing by the cistern.. W-263

Woman In Ono

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Elder in bure. W-264

Woman In The Square Under The Trees

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Young woman, dressed for church. W-265

Woman Of Ono

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Working at home in Ono. W-166

Photo of Saleseini Talebula

All Dressed Up & Somewhere To Go

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Two young women head for a community event. W-268

Portrait Of A Woman

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Woman in her kitchen. W-269

Woman At Work, Ono

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Elder, busy at work in her bure. W-270

Heading For Church On A Sunday Morning

Photo of Lanieta Koto.

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Young mother walks to church in Ono. W-271

Mothers Of Ono-i-Lau

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Women prepare a meal at Onolevu District School for their children. W-272

Two Women

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Women beside a bure. W-22

Photo of Marica Vakauta and Lisapeci

Heading Through Village

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Woman walking through the village. W-32

Village Square, Woman With Child

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Woman in village square with small child. W-33

Through The Window

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Woman with palm frond. W-34

Women Under The Trees In Ono

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Elderly women under the trees in the village square. W-112

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

Ono's Women

The Women Of Ono-i-Lau.

Portrait Of A Beautiful Woman

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Mother with three children. W-21

Woman Making A Basket

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Busy putting together a basket under a tree. W-133

Women & The Wash

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Washing by the cistern.. W-263

Woman In Ono

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Elder in bure. W-264

Woman In The Square Under The Trees

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Young woman, dressed for church. W-265

Woman Of Ono

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Working at home in Ono. W-166

Photo of Saleseini Talebula

All Dressed Up & Somewhere To Go

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Two young women head for a community event. W-268

Portrait Of A Woman

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Woman in her kitchen. W-269

Woman At Work, Ono

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Elder, busy at work in her bure. W-270

Heading For Church On A Sunday Morning

Photo of Lanieta Koto.

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Young mother walks to church in Ono. W-271

Mothers Of Ono-i-Lau

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Women prepare a meal at Onolevu District School for their children. W-272

Two Women

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Women beside a bure. W-22

Photo of Marica Vakauta and Lisapeci

Heading Through Village

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Woman walking through the village. W-32

Village Square, Woman With Child

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Woman in village square with small child. W-33

Through The Window

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Woman with palm frond. W-34

Women Under The Trees In Ono

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Elderly women under the trees in the village square. W-112

The Women Of Ono-i-Lau.

Ono-i-Lau, FijiMother with three children. W-21

Ono-i-Lau, FijiBusy putting together a basket under a tree. W-133

Ono-i-Lau, FijiWashing by the cistern.. W-263

Ono-i-Lau, FijiElder in bure. W-264

Ono-i-Lau, FijiYoung woman, dressed for church. W-265

Ono-i-Lau, FijiWorking at home in Ono. W-166

Photo of Saleseini Talebula

Ono-i-Lau, FijiTwo young women head for a community event. W-268

Ono-i-Lau, FijiWoman in her kitchen. W-269

Ono-i-Lau, FijiElder, busy at work in her bure. W-270

Photo of Lanieta Koto.

Ono-i-Lau, FijiYoung mother walks to church in Ono. W-271

Ono-i-Lau, FijiWomen prepare a meal at Onolevu District School for their children. W-272

Ono-i-Lau, FijiWomen beside a bure. W-22

Photo of Marica Vakauta and Lisapeci

Ono-i-Lau, FijiWoman walking through the village. W-32

Ono-i-Lau, FijiWoman in village square with small child. W-33

Ono-i-Lau, FijiWoman with palm frond. W-34

Ono-i-Lau, FijiElderly women under the trees in the village square. W-112

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Mother with three children. W-21

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Busy putting together a basket under a tree. W-133

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Washing by the cistern.. W-263

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Elder in bure. W-264

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Young woman, dressed for church. W-265

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Working at home in Ono. W-166

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Two young women head for a community event. W-268

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Woman in her kitchen. W-269

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Elder, busy at work in her bure. W-270

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Young mother walks to church in Ono. W-271

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Women prepare a meal at Onolevu District School for their children. W-272

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Women beside a bure. W-22

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Woman walking through the village. W-32

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Woman in village square with small child. W-33

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Woman with palm frond. W-34

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Elderly women under the trees in the village square. W-112