au alakana veavu

The language of fishing according to the Vula’a people of

Deborah Van Heekeren

Michael Goddard

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Maani Arara English Name Anira (Meaning) Comments

AKWAVU Flying ALOAU , KEAPARA KARONAI ALOAU means 'to Brassy trevally ALOAU VULA’A shoulder', 'carry on the KARO NAI ALOKAU shoulder' AMAUGA Snub-nose dart

ANAMA Barramundi

APE KIPO Mack tuna APE: tail KIPO: small ARAWA Grey nurse shark GURUGU ARENI ALOMA Oriental sweetlips ALOMA VAVINE RA The fish shows KOPIRA ALO ALO RA similarities to Aloma VEAIRA women’s tattoos

ARI Queenfish ARI ARI AI ERO KANA The fish come near the beach in large schools ARIA KWALA Yellow-lip emperor (adult) ARIGA ARIGA Yellow-lip emperor (juvenile) ARIGO Paddle tail ARILOVA Queen fish ARI ELOVA NA The fish ‘measures’ the & giant tide: it always swims at leatherskin the same depth, therefore closer to shore at high tide, further from shore at low tide. AUGA Coral trout ANA ANI ANI KIPO The fish doesn’t chew, it EAUGA RANA puffs its cheeks out to digest. It eats like a person without teeth AVA’A Unicorn fish AKU KAPA NAI EVE The fish spread (variety) AVA ALI NA themselves out just below the wave AVIAVI Warty prowfish and Red indianfish AWA KUPA Milkfish EREKOMU Longtom (small) EVEA Garfish (without scales, small & slender) GEMO Threadfin

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ponyfish GIOGIO Spangled emperor GULA IWA Lined rabbit fish GUAI ELA IWA NA GULEA Whitebait ARI GU ELE ANA The fish ‘misses the tide’, is left behind as the tide goes out GULIA Octopus GULIMAWA Painted sweetlips (see also GU’UMAWA) GUME Blue-spine unicorn fish GUME KWANU Orange-spine unicorn fish GUMU’U Dotted sweet lips GURUGU PARA Giant trevally GU’UMAWA Painted sweetlips (see also GULIMAWA) IGO KWALA Goat Fish AI GONA KWALA The fish looks as though MALA MUNA it has a small beard on its jaw IGO PENA Gold spotted trevally IGUNA KEPALA Olive sea snake IKOURAWA Giant Spanish Mackerel IMOU ‘Dolphin’ fish INAUKA Bonito IRU VERA’A Manta ray Ra’a means branch. (Also known as RAWA APUNA or RAWA GUIGUINA) KALAI Bronze whaler Found at Kalia reef. PAEWANA shark formerly plentiful off Raukele Point KALAWA Parrot fish common name for Wrasse KALE KALE Permit fish KANI Bonefish KAPULU Yellowfin surgeon fish, Orange- socket surgeon fish KARI KAMU KARI KARI NA KAMU The name refers to the VAGI fish’s big jaws KAWA KAWA Northern dart ‘mad’ because of its aimless movements KAWALANA Coronation trout

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KEALOVO Spotted mackerel KEANA LAKU Sweetlip emporer (smaller variety) KEPI Spinefoot fish This is an Alukuni name, sometimes used by Vula’a. The Vula’a mostly call it MILIVU KERU AVA’A Sleek unicorn fish a.k.a. WAPU IRU KERU IKOKO Spotted unicorn fish KEVE KULO White tip shark KEVE: tip/end KULO: white KEVE RUPA Black tip shark KEVE: tip/end, RUPA: Black KIMO KIMONA Blue-spined These might also be trevally and Onion called ARE PAKO trevally KINI PARA Big-eye emperor KIRA Grass tuskfish KIRA O KEVOLONA KAMU VAGI KIRALE Orange-lined sweetlips (adult) KIRAU Stingrays KIRU KIRU Tuna (skipjack, KIRU KIRU VEAIRA striped) GEVIRIVIRI RAGE NA KIRU KIRU MA Dogtooth tuna ROANA means tusks. ROANA KIRU LUI Dolphin KOGE RARAMI Shovelnose ray KOIKO Convict surgeonfish KOKE KULAVU Barramundi cod KOKONA large parrot fish KOKOROKU Gold-spot emperor KOKOVE Spotted eagle ray KONEWALO Hammerhead shark KOPIKOPI Leather jacket KOPUA KOPUA Job fish KORE Trevally Scad KUKU Damsel Might be the lemon damsel (pola pola) KULAVU Rock cod KULAVU KINI Giant groper

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KULU KULU Grunter, banded KULU means noise. The trumpeter fish makes grunting sounds when out of water. KUMANI Bullseyes KUMATIO Chinaman fish (adult) KURU Puffer fish KURULU KANI Nannygai has very sharp scales KWALA AI Crocodile longtom largish longtom, but smaller than OULA KWALA AI KWAMO Hardy head KWARA RUPA longtom (variety) Has a stub on the low side of the beak KWATA Leopard shark LAI RAGE KALOVA MOLE MOLE This fish is not cooked by NAI EVE LAI RAGE NA smoking. It is scorched on NE KOPINA O a flame: the skin then GUNANA EKO VAGI scrapes off easily NA LARAWA Blue fin trevally LAU KALE Giant LAU REVA Vlamings unicorn RELENA REVA VAGI The name refers to its big LEGE LEGENA Orange-lined sweetlips (adult) LIGO Red bass LORUPA Might be the Golden trevally LUI Dugong LUI LAPE Remora LAPENA MAKIO Black Bass MAKOLONA Reticulated puffer fish MAMI Hump headed MAMI NAMA The name refers to its Maori Wrasse good taste (giant) MANALIVA Garfish (with MA'A NA ALIVA Refers to the size of the scales) LEKENA net to catch it: not too big, not too small. MANEMAWA Large mullet MELO VAVINE Banded sea snake ‘Turns men into girls’: it frightens them. MELUE Small drummer

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MILIVU Spinefoot fish Alukuni people call this KEPI MILIVU RAWA Spinefoot fish (juvenile) MIRAMIRA A baitfish found around reefs MUGU’U Garfish MUNA GU AI GELE General name for garfish, WA NA including those with shorter beak. Caught only in complete darkness, when there is no moon MUKULA Stargazers, lizard NAMOTA Yellow spotted triggerfish NAPA’A Sand flathead NAPURA Sea bream NAVIU Black eyed conger NONO Moray eel OLA ATI Tropical boxfish OLEAUNA Yellowtail pike Does not grow to large sizes OLO Northern IA EO LO NA yellowtail scad OLO OLO Big eyed trevally OPU Mullet (juvenile) OPU MAWANA Bearded mullet ORELE Mackerel scad OROU Young parrot fish A small yellow fish, lives in seaweed/floaters OULA Long tom (average size) OULA KWALA Long tom (largest AI variety) PAE KALA PU Spotted scat PAEWA Shark PAKULA Giant trevally AE PAKU LA LA NA The fish doesn’t care (juvenile) where it swims PAKURA Caledonian PAKU NA MARA ANA ‘Head has many spines’ stinger, Scorpionfish PALEWA Striped triggerfish PALU Stary triggerfish, PA’ALU VEA ERA Titan trigger fish, Blue triggerfish, giant triggerfish

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PARELA Snapper PARIMAWA Spanish Mackerel KAPANA ALOALO NA O PARI PARI NA MAWA ANA PARIMAWA Tiger shark Stripes on body are PAEWANA similar to those on spanish mackerel (PARIMAWA) PARULU WARA Barracuda (juvenile) PATU KERERE Pilchard

PAVI Moses perch PEPE ALA Butterfly fish PEPE NA EA LAGI ALI PEPE is a flag or banner: ANA the fish ‘hides its flag’ by turning sideways to evade capture PERO Maori wrasse PAKU NA PERO AU Has no scales on its (giant size) RAI forehead, no meat, just the skull PERO PERO Medium parrot fish PEULEGI Honeycomb moray PEWA Flutemouth POLE POLE Golden trevally Might also be called LORUPA POLO Cobia PONO IRU Blue-stripe snapper PORE VALU Crescent perch PUGO Longfin pike PUNA Bat fish PURIGA Forktail large-eye bream RAE Ox-eye scad RAE KEPO Wahoo RALAIKA Black-blotch RALAINA I KA VAGI The fish is good to ‘pat’ emperor NA or ‘stroke’: it has a nice texture RAMEA White ribbon eel RAPE Flounder RAPU RULU spinefoot fish A variety of MILIVU that (variety) lives in rocks

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RAPU’U Yellow spotted KAMERANA emperor RARA Scad RAVU OA Pencilled surgeon fish RAWA APUNA Manta ray a.k.a. IRU VERA’A and RAWA GUIGUINA RAWA Manta ray a.k.a. RAWA APUNA GUIGUINA and IRU VERA’A RAWA KANA smaller parrot fish RAWA MUGU’U Eastern garfish RAWA garfish RALU RAWA Seeks refuge in the calm RAWANA RAWANAI E RAINA of the reef RELE KAKA Yellowfin Tuna RELE NA MA KAKA refers to the ‘stain’ on the NA yellow back fins REREWA Eeltail catfish RIGA POGI Drummer family, larger var. RIKWA RIKWA Yellowtail scad RILIMA Porcupine fish RINA’A Sweetlips RIRI KWALUME Angel fish ROA ROA Triple-tail Maori ROLOKA PUNU Yellow-striped Emperor ROLOVO Lionfish family RUA RUA Small-tooth emperor (juvenile) RUAWA Small-tooth RU ANA EVE WANA Refers to its shiny teeth emperor (adult) RUMU Triggerfish family RUNE KOU Squid RURUAU Yellow-stripe Goafish TAKUMA Mosaic /AWAGI leatherjacket (adult) URA ALU Turrum VA’AU Silver belly family VA’AKALA jack VILU VILU Dussumer’s garfish VORI VORINA Thicklip trevally

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VUAPO RUPA Midnight snapper VUVUA Rainbow runner VUVULA PERI Whiting WALAPA KOA Pony fish WALU WARA Eel & Moray LEA POKANAI E Refers to its peering WALU MALA MALA (WALU) behaviour: NA sticks its head out and peers around WANAKA Orange-blotch OLEA GEAO WAI Surgeonfish AONAI WANAKA MAPARARA GEVA AVU RA WAI WANAKA RUPA Eye-line surgeon fish WARA Barracuda WARA VEAIRA ANI Comes like a ‘sorcerer’: ANI EMALA RANA quiet, unseen, then snatches its prey WARA KEPO Barracuda (adult) WARIMO Longtom WA’A RINUKA Common name for MOMORA longtoms, Refers to the old custom of lighting coconut fibres as a torch WARIMO REVE Longtom (small) Variety with flat tail WARIMO ROE Marlin/Sailfish ROE family

Vula’a contributors of fish names were;

Jesse Iga Gerre Rupa Kila Kapa Pokana Leka Iga Kili Alama Vele Rupa Roge Kila

English References consulted;

Kuiter, Rudi H. 2009 Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. Sydney: New Holland Publishers.

Prokop, Frank. 2001 Australian Fish Guide. Croydon: Australian Fishing Network.

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The origin of mullet fishing

The following story was told by Intia Amini of Hula village in 2001 and translated by Gerre Rupa

Once upon a time there lived a man and his wife. The wife gave birth to ten mullet in the . It was there also that she used to feed them. She used to call them by singing this song:

Opu nolou nomai foga e

Hearing this the mullet would come and gather around her. She would then count them to make sure none were missing. After feeding them she would send them back to the sea. However, the husband was not aware that the wife gave birth to the mullet. One day he became suspicious. Having heard the wife’s song he decided to try it for himself and went to the exact place where she sang it. So he sang the song:

Opu nolou nomai foga e Suddenly the mullet came to where he was. After doing the counting he speared the first born with his spear. Upon seeing this the other mullet fled. That’s why in our village when we see the mullet we get our nets and spears but hearing and seeing the villagers coming the mullet escapes.

The origin of fishing nets

This story was published in 1931 in The Papuan Villager, which was edited by F. E. Williams. Reproduced here in its original form, the Story of Nets is told by Piki Ravu of Hula village.

Story of Nets

How the people learn to make fishing nets, where did they come from? Long ago there were no nets, but a man with his little daughter named Numana-Palana, lived at Oloko. They had a garden at the part of Irupara behind the three passage mark. Before Irupara was land, but now it is sea. They went to their garden, their garden is near the beach. The man worked, and daughter played on the beach. By and by a big sea man came up in the sea, and took away the girl with him. Work was finished, and the man came out from the garden and called his daughter. She did not answer him, because she was lost. The father sought her and did not find. Father was very sad, then he said to himself, “My daughter is dead.” And went out from there and came to his own house. He told his wife and the village people what was done. The mother was very sad because her poor daughter was lost. They all wet to seek the girl amongst all the men. And they all sad she was dead.

The Girl was under the Sea

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She grew and was there until 16 years old. She learned all about making nets. And when she came back to the land, she spoke to other girls saying, “When my father comes you will ask him saying, ‘Please, O my father, the girl you lost said, Are my mother and father sick?’ That is the way you will go and see him, and will come back home”. The father came from fishing and they told him. “The girl that was lost, we spoke to her.” The father thought and said, “all right we will find her.” They went fishing first. It is their work to go fishing. Their canoe goes like the wind blowing on the sea. They came back and slept. The girl went and awoke her father and mother, because it was night. Her father said, “Who are you?” She said, “I am your poor daughter.” He said, “True?” “Yes, true.” And he came to her. The father said, “Only you?” She said, “No, we are many”. Father asked her to tell others to go and come back next week. She went and told them what her father said. They all said, “All right”; then they went back.

The Village People Make Feast

The father killed fatted pigs, and all were glad the daughter who was lost was found. The village people said, “When sea people come we all will fight with them.” Many sea people came back, then all the village people got up and fought them. They cannot come back again. From that time, the girl taught all her village people to make nets. [By Piki Ravu, of Hula]

Ravu, P. 1931 The Story of Nets, The Papuan Villager, Vol 3. No 2., Feb 16.

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