A History of Samoan (LMS) Missionary Wives in the Western Pacific From

Covenant Keepers: A History of Samoan (LMS) Missionary Wives in the Western Pacific from 1839 to 1979 A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of The Australian National University Latu Latai Copyright by Latu Latai, 2016 ii TABLE OF CONTENTS List of illustrations v Acknowledgements ix Abstract xiii INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER ONE: Covenant in the making: The arrival of Christianity in Samoa and the formation of Samoan missionary wives 33 CHAPTER TWO: The first wave: Early struggles in southern Vanuatu and the Loyalty Islands 1839–1869 79 CHAPTER THREE: Resistance and eventual success: Conversion in southern Vanuatu and the Loyalty Islands 117 CHAPTER FOUR: Singers of a new song: Success and Criticisms in Tuvalu and Kiribati 1865–1890 155 CHAPTER FIVE: The last frontier: PNG—a “dark” and “savage” mission field 1883–1933 199 CHAPTER SIX: The final wave: The project to “uplift” women in PNG 1933–1979 245 CONCLUSION 291 APPENDICES 299 Appendix 1 Samoan Missionaries and their Wives in Rotuma and Southern Vanuatu, 1839–1861 299 Appendix 2 Samoan Missionaries and their Wives in New Caledonia and Loyalty Islands, 1840–1869 302 Appendix 3 Samoan Missionaries and their Wives in Tuvalu, 1865–1966 304 Appendix 4 Samoan Missionaries and their Wives in Kiribati, 1865–1948 311 Appendix 5 Samoan Missionaries and their Wives in Tokelau, 1861–1958 318 Appendix 6 Samoan Missionaries and their Wives in Niue, 1849–1964 320 Appendix 7 Samoan Missionaries and their Wives in PNG and the Torres Strait, 1883–1979 321 BIBLIOGRAPHY 349 iii iv LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Maps 1. Mouth of the Kikori River in the Central Gulf, PNG 3 2. The spread of Samoans in the evangelisation of the western Pacific 10 3. Islands in the south of Vanuatu, Loyalty Islands and New Caledonia 86 4. Map of Tuvalu, southern Kiribati, Niue and Tokelau 158 5. Places where Samoans worked in Papua New Guinea 203 Figures 1. Olivia and her sister before she left on mission 4 2. Where the old Dopima village was once situated, now eroded by the sea 4 3. Overi Keivai and family holding timber from a mission house built by Fekusone 5 4. First meeting at Kikori with former students of my mother and those who used to babysit me at Aird Hill 5 5a and b. Images of the first issues of the Sulu Samoa in 1839 19 6a and b. Images of the letter written by Simiona from Aneityum Vanuatu in 1853 20 7a, b and c. Images of Samoan accounts published in the Sulu Samoa and autobiographies by Samoan missionaries 22 8. Elders at Tubusereia looking at photos of Samoan missionaries 26 9. Elders of the Presbyterian Church at Anelgauhat, Aneityum Vanuatu, remembering in conversation the work of Samoan missionaries and their wives 26 10a and b. Two former Samoan missionary wives, Tumanu Alesana and Lagisi Leota who worked in PNG with their husbands in the mid-twentieth century 28 11a and b. Former Samoan missionary wives in PNG, Lusa Fuatai and Olivia Latai 30 12a and b. More former Samoan missionary wives in PNG, Lupeline Tagaloa and Teipo Taeleipu Aiono 30 13. Classroom and students’ cottages at Mālua Seminary in the 1850s 63 14. The Reverend J.W. Hills and Mrs. Hills’ mission house at Leulumoega ca 1890–1900 63 15. Students of Papauta Girls’ School in front of the school building, Samoa, 1897 71 16a and b. Images of Port Resolution Tanna, Vanuatu 80 17. Head stones of Mrs Mary Anne Paton and her son Peter Robert and the grave of missionary A.C.P. Watt 80 18. The grave of A.C.P. Watt near the Yacht Club’s dining house 80 19. Old pictures of the mission station at Port Resolution 80 20. The grave of Samuel P. Johnston 80 21. The anchor believed to be that used by the Samoans. 82 22. The place called “Samoa” where the Samoans later settled 82 23a and b. The unmarked graves of the Samoans at Port Resolution 83 24. Chief Narua holding a picture of his ancestor Chief Nowa who, according to local tradition, first received the Samoans 83 25. Painting of “The massacre of the lamented missionary the Reverend J. Williams and Mr. Harris” 87 26. Image of a Samoan blind man (and his son) offering to go as a missionary 89 27. Sign at entrance to Samoa Point 103 v 28. View of Havannah Harbour at Samoa Point looking towards Lelepa Island on the left where the Rarotongans were killed and the harbour where their wives tried to escape by swimming to the mainland 103 29a, b, c, and d. Images of mass graves of local people as well as Samoans who died at Anelgauhat, Aneityum in the disease epidemics in the 1840s to the 1860s 105 30. Descendant of So’oalo, Chief So’oalo Sioasi who attended the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the Samoans at Erakor in 1845. He was part of the delegation from the CCCS from Samoa in 1995 122 31. Samoan delegation being greeted by members of the church at Erakor 122 32a and b. Stone foundations of houses believed to be that of the Samoans at Anelgauhat, Aneityum and near an old talie tree 147 33. A round depression believed to be the foundation of a Samoan house where the earliest Samoans lived 147 34 Thatching technique believed to have been introduced by Samoan women 147 35. House called niom Samoa 148 36. Local Pastor Isaac drawing on the sand to show the differences between a house introduced by Samoans and the local indigenous design 148 37. The nijab Samoa presented to me by women of the Presbyterian Church at Anelgauhat. In the front in the green and white “mother hubbard” dress is Mrs Akissie Nasaule 148 38. Local canoe with the distinctive Samoan outrigger design 148 39. The John Geddie Memorial Church at Anelgauhat 151 40. The oar used when they sailed a huge canoe to Port Vila, displayed to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the arrival of Geddie 151 41. Copy of the title page of John Geddie's translation of the Bible into Aneitymese 152 42. Drawing of John Geddie with the inscription: “When he came in 1848 there were no Christians. When he died in 1872 there were no heathens.” 152 43. Pastor Fepuleai Usufono, leader of the Samoan delegation, embracing one of the local chiefs during the reconciliation ceremony in 2010 on Aneityum 153 44. Traditional gifts of food including the pig presented during the reconciliation 153 45. The presentation of the nijab Samoa as one of the items offered 153 46. The plaque unveiled for the memory of the Samoans on Aneityum during the 2010 reconciliation ceremony 153 47. Faatape and Simona's house on Funafuti in the 1890s 171 48a and b. Images of the Gulf region taken during a flight from Port Moresby to the Gulf, 2013 204 49a and b. Images showing water everywhere along the Kikori River which gives rise to an abundance of mosquitoes 205 50. Arriving at Samoa village where my parents worked. The village is named after many Samoan missionaries who worked there 206 51. A view of Aird Hill and just over the mountain is the Mission station built by Benjamin T. Butcher 206 52. Local Deacon Idau Tauhura showing me unmarked graves of Samoans at Tubusereia 207 53. Local Elder Hari Bore standing at the sight of Samoan unmarked graves at Gabagaba. 207 54a, b, c and d. Images of Kwato station in 1915 and 1916 showing progress of the mission 230 55. Samoan missionary Sumeo and possibly his second wife Evelina. 234 vi 56. Traditional war canoes at Kwato taken by Eva Rousseau around 1916 during a celebration or festivity 251 57a, b and c. Remnants of Olivia Latai's boarding school for girls at Karaulti 264 58. Lagisi and her husband with her women’s fellowship in their uniform at Moru 265 59. Lagisi with her child in front of their house at Moru 265 60. Gigiwabu Damai, wife of Papuan pastor the Reverend Ew Damai 274 61. A meeting with one of the oldest ladies who still prays in Samoan at Ero village 274 62. Local pandanus textile introduced by Samoan wives to the Kikori, Gulf region 275 63. Samoan pandanus textiles (falalili’i and papa) that Lagisi said she introduced and taught local women at Gabagaba 275 64a and b. Women from Aird Hill arriving at Kikori town on local dugout canoes run by outboard motors with their produce of sago and other vegetables to sell 276 65. Kikori Market where Olivia and her Sunday School choir sang Christmas carols in the 1960s 277 66. Local women selling their produce at Kikori market. 277 67. Meeting with local primary school teachers and nurses at Karaulti 281 68. Meeting Mr. Ken (standing in the middle) on the Kikori River 281 69. Former students of Olivia Latai at Aird Hill in the mission house built by Benjamin T. Butcher 282 70. Ladies of the Uniting Church of Papua Womens’ fellowship at Ero, Aird Hill 282 71. The pastor’s house at Gabagaba, built by Samoan missionary Fuata’i 288 72. The stream, that was redirected when the mission land was reclaimed by sand, now runs behind the pastor’s house 288 73. Elders of the Church at Gabagaba presenting the piece of wood that was cut by lightning, now kept inside the church to remind the people of that miracle 289 74. With Pastor Toea, his wife Sina Risi, their son and one of the elders of the Church at Gabagaba 289 75.

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