Malaita
Geography | |
---|---|
Location | Pacific Ocean |
Coordinates | 9°01′03″S 160°57′14″E / 9.01750°S 160.95389°E |
Archipelago | Solomon Islands |
Area | 4,307 km2 (1,663 sq mi) |
Highest elevation | 1,303 m (4275 ft) |
Highest point | Mount Kalourat |
Administration | |
Solomon Islands | |
Province | Malaita |
Largest settlement | Auki (pop. 7,882 (2021) |
Demographics | |
Population | 161,832 (2021) |
Pop. density | 32.5/km2 (84.2/sq mi) |
Ethnic groups | See § Demographics and culture |
Malaita is the primary island of Malaita Province in Solomon Islands. Malaita is the most populous island of the Solomon Islands, with a population of 161,832 as of 2021,[1] or more than a third of the entire national population. It is also the second largest island in the country by area, after Guadalcanal.
The largest city and provincial capital is Auki, on the northwest coast and is on the northern shore of the Langa Langa Lagoon. The people of the Langa Langa Lagoon and the Lau Lagoon on the northeast coast of Malaita call themselves wane i asi ‘salt-water people’ as distinct from wane i tolo ‘bush people’ who live in the interior of the island.[2]
Name
Most local names for the island are Mala, or its dialect variants Mara or Mwala.
History
Early settlement and European discovery
Malaita was, along with the other Solomon Islands, settled by
First recorded sighting by Europeans of Malaita was by the Spaniard
Labour trade and missions
After it was re-discovered in the late 18th century, Malaitans were subjected to harsh treatment from
From the 1870s to 1903 Malaitan men (and some women) comprised the largest number of Solomon Islander
Many of the earliest missionaries, both Catholic and Protestant, were killed, and this violent reputation survives in the geographic name of Cape Arsacides, the eastward bulge of the northern part of the island, meaning Cape of the Assassins.
Establishment of colonial power
At this time, there was no central power among the groups on Malaita, and there were numerous
Auki was established as a government station in 1909, as headquarters of the administrative district of Malaita.[23] The government began to pacify the island, registering or confiscating firearms, collecting a head tax, and breaking the power of unscrupulous war leaders. One important figure in the process was District Commissioner William R. Bell, who was killed in 1927 by a Kwaio, along with a cadet named Lillies and 13 Solomon Islanders in his charge. A massive punitive expedition, known as the Malaita massacre, ensued; at least 60 Kwaio were killed,[24] nearly 200 detained in Tulagi (the protectorate capital),[25] and many sacred sites and objects were destroyed or desecrated.[26] Resentment about this incident continues, and in 1983 leaders from the Kwaio area council requested that the national government demand from the United Kingdom about $100 million in compensation for the incident. When the central government did not act on this request, the council encouraged a boycott of the 1986 national elections.[27]
World War II, which played a major role in Solomons history, did not have a major impact upon Malaita. Auki became the temporary capital when Tulagi was seized by the Japanese, and it too was briefly raided by Japan, but little fighting happened on the island. Malaitans who fought in battalions, however, brought a new movement for self-determination known as Maasina Ruru (or "Marching Rule"), which spread quickly across the island. Participants united across traditional religious, ethnic, and clan lines,[28] lived in fortified nontraditional villages, and refused to cooperate with the British.[29] The organization of the movement on Malaita was considerable. The island was divided into nine districts, roughly along the lines of the government administrative districts, and leaders were selected for each district.[30] Courts were set up, each led by a custom chief (alaha'ohu), who became powerful figures.[31] The British initially treated the movement cautiously,[31] even praised aspects of it, but when they found there could be no common ground between the government and the movement, retaliated firmly, with armed police patrols, insisting that the chiefs recant or be arrested. Some did recant, but in September 1947 most were tried in Honiara, charged with terrorism or robbery, and convicted to years of hard labour.[32]
However, the movement continued underground, and new leaders renamed the organization the Federal Council.[33] The High Commissioner visited Malaita to negotiate a settlement, and proposed the formation of the Malaita Council, which would have a president elected by members, though they would have to recognize the government's authority and agree to cooperate with their administrators.[34] The council became the first installment of local government in the Solomon Islands,[35] and its first president was Salana Ga'a.[34] The establishment of the council reduced the tension on Malaita, although Maasina Rule elements did continue until at least 1955.[34] The council was shown not to be simply a means of appeasement, but submitted nearly seventy resolutions and recommendations to the High Commissioner in its first two years of existence.[36]
Post-independence
The Solomon Islands were granted independence in July 1978. The first prime minister was Peter Kenilorea from 'Are'are (Malaita). The provinces were re-organized in 1981, and Malaita became the main island of Malaita Province. Malaita remains the most populous island in the country, and continues to be a source for migrants, a role it played since the days of the labour trade. There are villages of Malaitans in many provinces, including eight "squatter" settlements that make up about 15 percent of the population of Honiara, on Guadalcanal.[37]
Malaitans who had emigrated to Guadalcanal became a focus of the civil war which broke out in 1999, and the Malaita Eagle Force (MEF) was formed to protect their interest, both on Guadalcanal and on their home island. The organization of Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI) has contributed to the infrastructure development of the island.[38]
After the Solomon Islands switched diplomatic recognition to China from Taiwan in 2019, with a delegation led by prime minister Manasseh Sogavare being received with great hostility and the provincial government refusing to discuss the topics Sogavare had originally arrived to discuss, instead airing concerns over the diplomatic switch. Mass pro-Taiwan protests broke out throughout Malaita, and some protesters even demanded independence from the Solomon Islands, sparking concerns over the fragility of the government.[39]
Geography
Malaita is a thin island, about 164 kilometres (102 mi) long and 37 kilometres (23 mi) wide at its widest point. Its length is in a north-northwest-to-south-southeast direction, but local custom and official use generally rotate it to straight north–south orientation, and generally refer to the "east coast" or "northern end," when northeast or northwest would be more accurate.
Malaita's climate is extremely wet. It is located in the Intertropical Convergence Zone ("Doldrums"), with its fickle weather patterns. The sun is at zenith over Malaita, and thus the effect is most pronounced, in November and February. Trade winds come during the Southern Hemisphere's winter, and from about April to August they blow from the southeast fairly steadily. During the summer, fringes of monsoon blow over the island. Because of the surrounding sea, air temperatures are fairly consistent, with a difference between daily highs and lows averaging to 7.6 °C (13.6 °F). However, across the year, the difference is much less; the mean daily temperature in the warmest month is only 1.9 °C (3.4 °F) warmer than that of the coolest. Rainfall is heavy and there is constant high humidity. The most common daily pattern follows an adiabatic process, with a calm, clear morning, followed by a breeze blowing in from higher pressures over the sea, culminating in a cloudy and drizzly afternoon. At night, the weather pattern reverses, and drizzle and heavy dew dissipate the cloud cover for the morning. Tropical cyclones are the only violent weather, but they can be destructive.[41]
Like the other islands in the archipelago, Malaita is near the
Malaitan hydrology includes thousands of small springs, rivulets, and streams, characteristic of a young drainage pattern. At higher altitudes
Environment
There are several vegetation zones based on altitude. Along the coast is either a rocky or sandy beach, where
Like most Pacific islands, there are not large numbers of mammals. Apart from several species of bats, there are introduced species of pigs, cuscuses and rodents. There are also
in the lagoon.Reptiles and amphibians are common as well, especially skinks and geckos. Crocodiles were once common, but have been so frequently hunted for their hides that they are nearly extinct. There are several venomous sea snakes and two species of venomous land snakes, in the elapid family. There are also numerous species of frogs of various sizes.
Fish and aquatic invertebrates are typical of the
Malaitans once believed in anthropoid apes that lived in the centre of the island, which are said to be 4.5 to 5 feet (1.4 to 1.5 m) tall and come in troops to raid banana plantations.[44]
There are a great number and variety of birds. Almost every family of avifauna were found in Ernst Mayr's 1931 survey.[45] Several species of parrots, cockatoos, and owls are kept as pets. Some bird species are endemic to Malaita.
Important Bird Area
The Malaita Highlands form a site that has been identified by
Dolphin hunting
According to Malaitian oral history, a Polynesian woman named Barafaifu introduced dolphin drive hunting from Ontong Java Atoll; she settled in Fanalei village in South Malaita as it was the place for hunting. Dolphin hunting ceased in the mid-19th century, possibly because of the influence of Christian missionaries. However, in 1948 it was revived at settlements on several islands, including Fanalei, Walande (10 km to the north), Ata'a, Felasubua, Sulufou (in the Lau Lagoon) and at Mbita'ama harbour. In most of these communities, the hunt had ceased again by 2004.[47] However, Fanalei in South Malaita remained the preeminent dolphin hunting village.[48]
The dolphins are hunted as food, for their teeth, and for live export. The teeth of certain species have a value for trade,
In recent years only villages on
Demographics and culture
Malaitans are of a varying
Languages and ethnic groups
Malaitans speak a variety of languages within the
The peoples of Malaita share many aspects of their culture, although they are generally divided into ethnic groups along linguistic lines. In pre-colonial times, settlements were small and moved frequently. Both
Religion
The traditional religion of the island is
With European contact,
Economy
For the most part, the Malaitans survive by subsistence agriculture, with taro and sweet potatoes as the most important crops. After the establishment of government control, a plantation was established on the west coast, near Baunani. However, many Malaitans work on plantations on other islands in the archipelago. For most, working on plantations is the only way to buy prestigious Western goods. Retail trade was largely conducted by Chinese merchants, with headquarters in Honiara. Goods are dispatched to remote locations on the island, where they are sometimes purchased by middlemen who keep "stores" (usually of suitcase size) in remote places.[29]
Arts
The Malaitans are famous for their music and dance, which are sometimes associated with rituals. Several of the groups, including the 'Are'are, famous for their
Malaitan shell-money, manufactured in the Langalanga lagoon, is the traditional currency, and was used throughout the Solomon Islands, as far as
Notable people
- Rexford Orotaloa, novelist
Notes
- ^ The National Statistics Office gives the estimated 2007 population of the whole province, including Small Malaita and other outlying islands, as 149,180.
- ^ Akimichi, Tomoya (1992). The ecological aspect of Lau (Solomon Islands) ethnoichthyology. 87 (4) Journal of the Polynesian Society. pp. 301–326. Archived from the original on 21 February 2021. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
- ^ a b "Malaita Island". Solomon Islands Historical Encyclopaedia 1893-1978. Retrieved 22 March 2014.
- ^ W.G. Ivens. Melanesians of the South-east Solomon Islands. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner, & Co., 1927; 22-23.
- ^ Ivens, 23.
- ^ Ivens, 22.
- ^ Alex Rukia, "Digging," in Ples Blong Iumi, 4.
- ^ Rukia, 13.
- ^ Rukia, 3-4.
- ^ Sharp, Andrew The discovery of the Pacific Islands Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1960, p.45.
- ^ Journal of Gallego, in Guppy, 219.
- ^ Joseph Waleanisia, "Wrigin I," in Ples Blong Iumi, 34-35.
- ^ Weleanisia, 35-36.
- ^ Ross, 56-57
- ^ Fugui and Butu, 89.
- ISBN 9781760460983.
- ^ Alasia, 116.
- ^ Keesing, 22.
- ^ Kent, 101-102.
- ^ a b Kent, 102.
- ^ Commonwealth and Colonial Law by Kenneth Roberts-Wray, London, Stevens, 1966. P. 897
- ^ Ross, 57-58.
- ^ "Auki". Solomon Islands Historical Encyclopaedia 1893-1978. Retrieved 22 March 2014.
- ^ Keesing and Corris, 178.
- ^ Keesing and Corris, 184.
- ^ Keesing and Corris, 202-203
- ^ Alaisa, "Politics," in Ples Blong Iumi, 142.
- ^ Keesing and Corris, 199.
- ^ a b Ross, 58-59.
- ^ Kent, 145.
- ^ a b Kent, 146.
- ^ Kent, 148.
- ^ Kent, 148-149.
- ^ a b c Kent, 149.
- ^ Alaisa, 142.
- ^ Kent, 150.
- ^ Alasia, 118.
- ^ To'abaita Authority for Research and Development (TARD)
- ^ "Malaita Independence". Reuters. 19 September 2019. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
- ^ Ross, 24.
- ^ Ross, 24-36
- ^ Ross, 36-38
- ^ Ross, 38-40
- ^ H. B. Guppy, The Solomon Islands and Their Natives, London: Swan Sonnenschein, Lowrey & Co, 1887. Page 335.
- ^ Ernst Mayr, "The Birds of Malaita (British Solomon Islands)" American Museum Novitates, 504:1-26, New York, cited in Ross, 41.
- ^ "Malaita Highlands". BirdLife Data Zone. BirdLife International. 2010. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
- ^ Kahn B., In: Green, A., P. Lokani, W. Atu, P. Ramohia, P. Thomas and J. Almany (eds.) (2006). Oceanic Cetaceans and Associated Habitats. Solomon Islands Marine Assessment: Technical report of survey conducted 13 May – 17 June 2004. TNC Pacific Island Countries Report No.1/06. 530. p. 449.
{{cite book}}
:|first1=
has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Takekawa, Daisuke (2000). Hunting method and the ecological knowledge of dolphins among the Fanalei villagers of Malaita, Solomon Islands (PDF). SPC Traditional Marine Resource Management and Knowledge Information Bulletin No. 12. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016.
- ^ Takekawa, Daisuke (2000). Hunting method and the ecological knowledge of dolphins among the Fanalei villagers of Malaita, Solomon Islands (PDF). SPC Traditional Marine Resource Management and Knowledge Information Bulletin No. 12. pp. 8–9. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016.
- ^ Kahn B., In: Green, A., P. Lokani, W. Atu, P. Ramohia, P. Thomas and J. Almany (eds.) (2006). "8". Oceanic Cetaceans and Associated Habitats. Solomon Islands Marine Assessment: Technical report of survey conducted 13 May – 17 June 2004. TNC Pacific Island Countries Report No.1/06. 530. pp. 446–510.
{{cite book}}
:|first1=
has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Tursiops aduncus, Ehrenberg, 1833: Solomon Islands, Delphinidae, Indian Ocean Bottlenose Dolphin, Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin". Review of Significant Trade: Species selected by the CITES Animals Committee following CoP14 and retained in the review following AC25 (PDF). CITES Project No. S-380: Prepared for the CITES Secretariat by United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre. 2012. pp. 2–10. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
- ^ Nandini Mitra, Maureen (25 January 2013). "Solomon Islands' Dolphin Kill Spurred by Corrupt Dolphin Traders, Says Animal Rights Group". .earthisland.org. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
- ^ "350 plus dolphins caught, slaughtered in Solomon Islands". Island Business from Solomon Star/Pacnews. 18 February 2014. Archived from the original on 22 May 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
- ^ a b c Agence France-Presse (7 May 2015). "Solomon Islanders kill more than 1,600 dolphins for their teeth". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
- ^ Ross, 46.
- ^ Ross, 46-47.
- ^ Ross, 48-49.
- ^ Keesing 10-11
- ^ Sam Alasia, "Population Movement," in Ples Blong Iumi, 114.
- ^ a b Leslie Fugui and Simeon Butu, "Religion," in Ples Blong Iumi, 76.
- ^ Keesing, 11.
- ^ Lawrence Foanaota, "Social Change," in Ples Blong Iumi, 68.
- ^ Ross, 57.
- ^ Leslie and Butu, 75.
- ^ Keesing, 1.
- ^ Zemp, Hugo. Liner notes to Solomon Islands: 'Are'are Panpipe Ensembles. Le Chant du Monde LDX 274961.62, 1994. Page 58-59.
- ^ Ross, 129.
- ^ Romano Kokonge, "The Arts," in Ples Blong Iumi, 65.
- ^ Pei-yi Guo (1 January 2006). ""Making Money": Objects, Productions, and Performances of Shell Money Manufacture in Langalanga, Solomon Island". The Frontiers of Southeast Asia and Pacific Studies. Retrieved 22 March 2014.
- ^ a b Romano Kokonge, 63.
- ^ Kent, 44.
References
- Roger Keesing, Kwaio Religion: The Living and the Dead in a Solomon Island Society. New York: Columbia University Press, 1982.
- Roger M. Keesing and Peter Corris. Lightning Meets the West Wind: The Malaita Massacre. Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1980.
- Janet Kent. The Solomon Islands. Harrisburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 1972.
- James Page, 'Education and Acculturation on Malaita: An Ethnography of Intraethnic and Interethnic Affinities'.The Journal of Intercultural Studies. 1988. #15/16:74-81; available on-line at http://eprints.qut.edu.au/archive/00003566/.
- Ples Blong Iumi: Solomon Islands: The Past Four Thousand Years. Honiara: University of the South Pacific, 1989.
- Harold M. Ross. Baegu: Social and Ecological Organization in Malaita, Solomon Islands. Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1973.
Further reading
- Guppy, Henry B. (1887) The Solomon Islands and Their Natives. London: Swan Sonnenschein, Lowrey & Co
External links
- Roger M. Keesing Collection UC San Diego Library