Dancing, Dying, Crawling, Crying: Stories of Continuity and Change in the Polynesian Community of Tikopia"Largely by reason of its isolation, the tiny volcanic island of Tikopia in the South Pacific, has managed to retain its traditional Polynesian culture far more than most Pacific islands. Almost seventy years after the life of the island community was detailed by anthropology student Raymond (later Sir Raymond) Firth, the present author, Julian Treadaway, made several visits to Tikopia, sharing the life of his Tikopian host families for many months at a time, and noting remarkable continuity with the time of Firth's visits and even before. Comparing the present with the past observed by these earlier visitors, Treadaway's stories provide a fascinating account of this continuity and change. With a meticulously observant yet empathetic eye and an easy style, Treadaway records the day-to-day life of the community - detailing the distinctive marriage, funeral, circumcision and other ceremonies; everyday activities such as house-building and growing, catching and preparing food; and unique Tikopian customs of, amongst other things, crawling into houses and ritualistic crying. Through these stories he poses the question that hangs over Tikopia and all such communities: how best can traditional societies benefit from the modern world without completely losing their distinctive culture and identity?"--Cover. |
Contents
Slow boat to Tikopia | 1 |
Remembering through song and dance | 16 |
The house with no nails | 33 |
Paradise or hard work? | 43 |
Ritual with a smiling face | 59 |
The burdens of custom | 78 |
Tika and time | 86 |
The living and the dead | 101 |
Chiefs in the modern world | 114 |
The lost art of doing nothing | 127 |
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Common terms and phrases
Ariki arrived asked beach become betel nut boys breadfruit brother brought building called canoes carrying ceremony chiefs Christianity church cloth coconut coming cooking crying culture custom cyclone dance especially father feast fish follow four friends gifts girls give given half Honiara important influence island lake land later leaf leaves live look married mats Melanesian move nearly never night parents path perhaps person Plate prepared present problems Raymond Firth relatives respect rocks roof round seemed seen settlements sharing ship side sleep society Solomon Islands someone songs soon started stay taro tell things Tikopians told traditional trees usually videos village visitors walk whole women young