“We Are the Originals”
A STUDY OF VALUE IN FIJI
MATTI ERÄSAARI
Research Series in Anthropology University of Helsinki
Academic Dissertation
Research Series in Anthropology University of Helsinki, Finland
Distributed by Unigrafia P.O. Box 4 (Vuorikatu 3 A) 00014 University of Helsinki Finland Fax +358-9-7010 2370 http://www.unigrafia.fi
ISSN 1458-3186 ISBN 978-952-10-9164-3 (paperback) ISBN 978-952-10-9165-0 (PDF)
Unigrafia 2013
To Adi Salote Naitavuni Waqa 1957–2010
CONTENTS
List of Illustrations xi Acknowledgements xii
1. INTRODUCTION 1 Why value? 1 Fiji: a legacy of binaries 3 Dichotomy historicised 7 Naloto, Verata, Fiji 12 Plan 13
2. NALOTO VILLAGE 15 Introduction 15 The people from Naloto 18 The lay of the land 31 The affluence 39 The non-affluence 44 “Spoiling” 47 The sleeping village 52 Naloto village: developing the general argument 56
3. THE LAND–SEA DICHOTOMY 59 Introduction: the originals 59 People of the sea: the dichotomy in historical perspective 65 People of the land 71 The question of land and the indigenisation of strangers 82 Reversal completed: foreigners and guests in the 21st century 85
4. ORIGIN 91 Introduction 91 The value of origin 99 “Sides”: symmetrical opposition 112 In conclusion 118
5. THE VALUE OF WHALE TEETH 125 Introduction 125 Tabua as a foreign valuable 128 Tabua as a local valuable 133 Tabua in use: paying equal respects 137 “The sau of the gift” 149 In conclusion 159 6. CEREMONIAL EXCHANGES 164 Introduction 164 Ceremonial wealth 166 Vakamau (weddings) 172 Somate (funerals) 176 Dividing and divisibility 179 Conclusion 184
7. MONEY 187 Introduction 187 Money in everyday use 188 Money in vakavanua exchange 192 Fundraisers and church collections 194 Accountability 203 “Eating money” 207 The two sides of money 212
8. CONCLUSIONS 220
REFERENCES 226