Travel Honolulu, September 3, 1989 © by Honolulu Advertiser, Inc
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
unCf ay Star-l3ulletin & Advertiser Travel Honolulu, September 3, 1989 © by Honolulu Advertiser, Inc. All rights reserved. GI Moshe Rapaport, a doctoral stu dent in geography at the University of Hawaii, spent several weeks in the Tuamotus, coral atolls in the South Pacific so isolated most can be visited only every few months, via copra schooner. These are his memories of the tiny islet where he spent the most time. ~~ Welcome, ~ stranger! Welcome to the land of Vairaatea! Eastern Pol Moshe Rapaport, a doctoral stu dent in geography at the University of Hawaii, spent several weeks in the Tuamotus, coral atolls in the South Pacific so isolated most can be visited only every few months, via copra schooner. These are his memories of the tiny islet where he spent the most time. ~A ~ ..·~: ::.~·· Welcome, Q"b stranger! Welcome to the land of Vairaatea! Eastern Polvnesia By Moshe Rapaport I think it is an echo of the Special to the Advertiaer rhythmic motion of the sea in the subconscious of the atoll T is only a few weeks since I inhabitants. , have returned, but the I explained to Nauriki that I had • Imemories of Vairaatea remain come to study the life of the remarkably vivid. eastern Tuamotus. "You are I still wake at dawn expecting most welcome," she said. to see the sun rising across "In the past," she said, "the Puka Runga. Opening my door, spirits of the ancestors used to I half expect to step out onto walk the land in the evenings. the coral rubble in the tiny atoll The land would be blessed with village. Something calls me to frequent arri~als of migrating head out towards the deep fish and seabirds. At regular canyons in the reef edge and periods, massive schools of cast for fish. 'ature' (scad fish) would move in the channels between the In the evening, I walk around lagoon and the sea." Manoa Valley, listening for the "It is Naurike who sent away so, turning Moshe into Mote.) young men vigorously playing the ature," put in another atoll "What is it?," I asked. the ukulele and guitar, and resident, Andre. "She was "Wait," he said. "There will be chanting the songs of the gods disgusted with the way the local an announcement." and the heroes. Then Nauriki stood to speak. We arrived at the pier of the All the population had gathered Vairaatea Atoll in the early on the ground in the deep morning of a Saturday. There WHAT: "Vahl-Tahl Revisited: The Southeastern Tuamotus In the darkness of the atoll. Nauriki is ar~ only eight families on the 19808." a talk by doctOral cancli small and she was engulfed by a atolf,-att-ctumered ·in the tiny date' MO!lhe Rapaport on·eom mountain of1eiS". - ~ -- village at the northern tip of munity life in one of the most Puka Ruga, the sole inhabited ltolated parts of the South Pacif· "Welcome," she said again. islet. le, with Slides and music. "Welcome to this land They all came down to greet WHEN: Noon, Tueaday. Vairaatea! "Welcome, stranger, us and presented us with leis WHERE: The East-West Center's whom we will give a new name! Environmentel Policy Institute and coconut frond hats. conference room. "From now on," she said, "let I was invited to stay with nobody in this land call you Kahui, brother-in-law of the Mote! For your new name, we mayor, who had accompanied have picked the name of an me from Papeete aboard the people gathered the fish for ancient 'kaito' (warrior). Your copra boat. On our way to his sport by the hundreds and let name shall be Moeava! We have house, I noticed an old woman them rot." selected this name because this moving towards us rapidly and I "She walked out to the kaito, like yourself, traveled knew it must be Nauriki, the seafront one evening and across many lands in the Pacific village matriarch. I had been commanded the ature, 'Go! Go!' seeking knowledge. He faced told about her. They never came back." many challenges, all of which Addressed simply as "the old The evening of our arrival, a he overcame. You, too, will face one," she is the last of those table was set up in the central numerous challenges which you who are still in touch with the square. Mati, the mayor, had will overcome easily!" ancient knowledge of the land, been to Papeete since his the lagoon, the sea and the election the previous March, She then warned me about sprits. discussing the development revealing my name if I visited "You are Nauriki!," I greeted needs of the islands with the Hao, one of the larger islands in her. government ministries. He the Tuamotan Archipelago. "How do you know that?" explained to the people about "They are extremely jealous of "Kahui told me." the work he had been doing. this name. If they know you are "Very good, Welcome, Then he told them about my Moeava, they will attack you welcome!" project. immediately," she said. In the Tuamotuan language, When he finished, he told me, Later that evening, I asked her, almost all words are doubled. "The people have decided to "Nauriki, what is the meaning Some people think ft is to make honor you with a new name." sentences easier to understand. (In fact, they had already done See A hearty, Page G-2 village' at the northern tip of munity life in one of the most , Puka Ruga, the sole inhabited ltolated parts Of the South Pac:if· "Welcome," she said again. islet. le, with slides and music. "Welcome to this land They all came down to greet WHEN: Noon, Tuesday. Vairaatea! "Welcome, stranger, us and presented us with leis WHERE: The East-West Center's whom we will give a new name! Environmental Polley Institute and coconut frond hats. conferenoe room. "From now on," she said, "let I was invited to stay with nobody in this land call you Kahui, brother-in-law of the Mote! For you: new name, we mayor, who had accompanied · . have picked the name of an me from Papeete aboard the people gathered the fish for ancient 'kaito' (warrior). Your copra boat. On our way to his sport by ~he hundreds and let name shall be Moeava! We have house, I noticed an old woman them rot. 1 t d th· b thi moving towards us rapidly and I "She walked out to the se .ec e. is name ecause s knew it must be Nauriki, the seafront one evening and ka1to, hke yourself •. traveled .. village matriarch. I had been commanded the ature, 'Go! Go!' acro~s many lands m the Pac1f1c They never came back ,, seekmg knowledge. He fac~d told about her. · . many challenges, all of which Addressed simply as "the old The evenmg o~ our arnval, a he overcame. You, too, will face one," she is the last of those table was s~t up m the central numerous challenges which you who are still in touch with the square. Mat1, the ~ayor~ had will overcome easily'" ancient knowledge of the land, been to Papeete smce his · the lagoon, the sea and the election the previous March, She then warned me about sprits. discussing the development revealing my name if I visited "You are Nauriki!," I greeted needs of the islands with the Hao, one of the larger islands in I her. government ministries. He the Tuamotan Archipelago. "How do you know that?" explained to the people about "They are extremely jealous of "Kahui told me." the work he had been doing. this name. If they know you are "Very good, Welcome, Then he told them about my Moeava, they will attack you welcome!" project. immediately," she said. In the Tuamotuan language, When he finished, he told me, Later that evening, I asked her, almost all words are doubled. "The people have decided to "Nauriki, what is the meaning Some people think It is to make honor you with a new name." sentences easier to understand. (In fact, they had already done · See A hearty, Page G-2 Photo by Moshe Rapaport Tiny "Amanu" atoll is famous fo~ Its th.ree churches, seen among the palms:. Catholic, Morman ,< • Writer turns French Polynesia into his classroom By Wanda A. Adams Lioina Section Editor HEN Moshe Rapaport em W barked on a research trip to the remote eastern islands of the Tua motu Archipelago last July, he had no idea where he'd stay, how he'd get from island to island, whether he'd brought the right supplies or enough money. But all turned out well. A doctoral candidate in geography at the University of Hawaii, Rapaport found that he could drop his suitcases at the front door of any "fare" (house) in the islands and be made welcome. Copra boats - primitive but depend able - carried him inexpensivly from Tahiti to Vatraatea atoll, more than 500- miles to the east. And his supplies, which ranged from antibiotics to toilet paper, held out well with the exception of batteries and ·a few minor items. Rapaport specializes in the human geography of French Polynesia and his dissertation focuses on the challenges faced by isolated societies in the Tua motus and the mechanisms by which these small communities cope and adapt to the constraints placed on them by distance, lack of natural resources, economic problems and natural forces (such as hurricanes and tidal waves) . He'll return to the Tuamotus briefly • in October, to check out other islands, then spend the better part of a year doing the actual research for his disser tation.