Nanumea
Encyclopedia
Nanumea is the northwesternmost atoll
in the Polynesia
n nation of Tuvalu
, a group of nine coral atoll
s and island
s spread over about four hundred miles of Pacific Ocean
just south of the equator
and west of the International Date Line
.
, Nanumea lies just south of the Gilbert Islands
, which are Micronesian
in language and culture. Nanumea is a classic atoll
, a series of low islet
s sitting on a coral reef
shelf surrounding a lagoon
. About 12 km long by 2½ km wide in overall size, the dry land area is about 3.9 sq. kilometers (1.5 sq. miles). The population of 664 (2002 census) lives primarily in the main village at the northwest tip of the largest of the five islets making up the atoll, Nanumea proper. The junior school is Kaumaile Primary School. There are scattered households across the lagoon from Nanumea village at Matagi and on Motu Foliki, and on the southeastern tip of Lakena islet. The two largest islets, comprising over 90% of the dry land area of the atoll, are Nanumea and Lakena
. In addition there are three much smaller islets, Motu Foliki
, Lafogaki
and Te Afua a Taepoa
spread around the encircling reef flat.
is closely related to other west Polynesian languages including Tokelauan
, Samoan
, and the languages of the Polynesian outlier
s. Although the eight Tuvalu communities have distinctive accents and some distinctive vocabulary, the dialects of Tuvalu are mutually intelligible to Tuvalu speakers with the exception of the language of Nui
atoll, whose inhabitants speak a dialect of the Gilbertese language
(with the exception of small children, most Tuvaluans from Nui also speak Tuvaluan). With this exception, Tuvaluan is universally understood and spoken in Tuvalu. English
is also spoken, especially in Tuvalu's capital, and is one of the official language
s of the central government.
, others name Samoa
, but whether these names refer to today's Tonga and Samoa is not certain. Tefolaha, traditional accounts say, found the island of Nanumea populated by two women, Pai and Vau, whom it was believed had formed it from baskets of sand. Tefolaha wagered with them for the island and eventually won it through trickery, whereupon Pai and Vau departed. Tefolaha's sons and daughters are today the founding ancestors of leading families and the seven chiefly lineages of Nanumea. Today's population also traces descent from crew members who arrived with Tefolaha, and from later visitors from the far distant and more recent past.
Francisco Antonio Mourelle
sailed past Nanumea on 5 May 1781, giving it the name ‘San Augustin’. In 1809 Captain Patterson in the brig Elizabeth sighted Nanumea while passing through the northern Tuvalu waters on a trading voyage from Port Jackson, Sydney, Australia to China.
19th century resident Palagi
traders included: Tom Day (c.1872) and Jack Buckland
(c.1895).
The population of Nanumea from 1860-1900 is estimated to be between 500 and 650 people.
based in the capital, Funafuti
.
While Nanumea atoll remains the homeland for all Nanumeans, there are increasingly large populations of Nanumeans resident in the capital, Funafuti, in New Zealand
(especially Auckland and Wellington), and in Australia
and other Pacific locations
. These expatriate
populations are well-organized, have active elected leadership councils, and keep in close touch with doings in Nanumea itself.
, pitting the two village sides, Haumaefa and Lolua, against each other. On January 8 each year, the island's conversion to Christianity over a century ago is commemorated in the Po o Tefolaha, "Tefolaha's Day", also called by some "Aso Pati", which stands for the letters in the Nanumean language phrase "the day of Tefolaha and Jesus." Po Lahi is celebrated in Nanumea itself and by many Nanumean communities overseas, including those in Funafuti, Auckland, Tarawa, Australia and other locations.
A widely recognized symbol of Nanumean identity and unity is the fighting spear, "Kaumaile." Said to have been brought with him by the island's founder, Tefolaha, Kaumaile was used to defeat invaders to Nanumea, most notably by Lapi to defeat a giant, Tuulaapoupou. Recent carbon dating tests have shown that the Kaumaile spear is over 800 years old.
, Prime Minister of Tuvalu
2004–2006 represented Nanumea in the Parliament of Tuvalu
.
Willy Telavi
from Nanumea was appointed Home Affairs Minister in the Government of Apisai Ielemia
in 2006.
Lady Naama Maheu Latasi
, the first woman to be elected to the Parliament of Tuvalu
, was elected from the constituency of Nanumea.
2001 Unity of Heart: Culture and Change in a Polynesian Atoll Society.
Prospect Hts, Illinois: Waveland Press (ISBN 1-57766-166-4)
Chambers, Anne
1984 Nanumea. (No. 6 in Atoll Economy: Social Change in Kiribati and Tuvalu.)
Canberra: Australian National University, Development Studies Centre (ISBN 86784-457-4)
Chambers, Keith S.
1984 Heirs of Tefolaha: Tradition and Social Organization in Nanumea, a Polynesian Atoll Community.
Ph.D. Dissertation, Anthropology, University of California, Berkeley (pub. by University Microfilms, Ann Arbor, Michigan)
Laracy, Hugh (editor)
1983 Tuvalu: a History. Suva: University of the South Pacific, Institute of Pacific Studies and Extension Services, and Funafuti: Ministry of Social Services. [21 chapters, maps, photos, appendices. Chapters written by Tuvaluan authors]
Atoll
An atoll is a coral island that encircles a lagoon partially or completely.- Usage :The word atoll comes from the Dhivehi word atholhu OED...
in the Polynesia
Polynesia
Polynesia is a subregion of Oceania, made up of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are termed Polynesians and they share many similar traits including language, culture and beliefs...
n nation of Tuvalu
Tuvalu
Tuvalu , formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, midway between Hawaii and Australia. Its nearest neighbours are Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa and Fiji. It comprises four reef islands and five true atolls...
, a group of nine coral atoll
Atoll
An atoll is a coral island that encircles a lagoon partially or completely.- Usage :The word atoll comes from the Dhivehi word atholhu OED...
s and island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
s spread over about four hundred miles of Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
just south of the equator
Equator
An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....
and west of the International Date Line
International Date Line
The International Date Line is a generally north-south imaginary line on the surface of the Earth, passing through the middle of the Pacific Ocean, that designates the place where each calendar day begins...
.
Geography
Located at 5.68°S 176.20°E, along one edge of the so-called Polynesian trianglePolynesian Triangle
The Polynesian Triangle is a region of the Pacific Ocean with three island groups at its corners: Hawaii, Easter Island and New Zealand. It is often used as a simple way to define Polynesia....
, Nanumea lies just south of the Gilbert Islands
Gilbert Islands
The Gilbert Islands are a chain of sixteen atolls and coral islands in the Pacific Ocean. They are the main part of Republic of Kiribati and include Tarawa, the site of the country's capital and residence of almost half of the population.-Geography:The atolls and islands of the Gilbert Islands...
, which are Micronesian
Micronesian languages
The family of Micronesian languages is a branch of the Oceanic languages. It consists of twenty languages, the nineteen Micronesian Proper languages and Nauruan...
in language and culture. Nanumea is a classic atoll
Atoll
An atoll is a coral island that encircles a lagoon partially or completely.- Usage :The word atoll comes from the Dhivehi word atholhu OED...
, a series of low islet
Islet
An islet is a very small island.- Types :As suggested by its origin as islette, an Old French diminutive of "isle", use of the term implies small size, but little attention is given to drawing an upper limit on its applicability....
s sitting on a coral reef
Coral reef
Coral reefs are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals. Coral reefs are colonies of tiny living animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. The polyps...
shelf surrounding a lagoon
Lagoon
A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...
. About 12 km long by 2½ km wide in overall size, the dry land area is about 3.9 sq. kilometers (1.5 sq. miles). The population of 664 (2002 census) lives primarily in the main village at the northwest tip of the largest of the five islets making up the atoll, Nanumea proper. The junior school is Kaumaile Primary School. There are scattered households across the lagoon from Nanumea village at Matagi and on Motu Foliki, and on the southeastern tip of Lakena islet. The two largest islets, comprising over 90% of the dry land area of the atoll, are Nanumea and Lakena
Lakena
-References:...
. In addition there are three much smaller islets, Motu Foliki
Temotufoliki
Te Motu Foliki is an isle of Nanumea atoll, Tuvalu....
, Lafogaki
Lefogaki
Lafogaki is an isle of Nanumea atoll, Tuvalu....
and Te Afua a Taepoa
Teatua a Taepoa
-References:...
spread around the encircling reef flat.
Language & Cultural Links
Nanumeans are Polynesians. The Nanumean dialect of the Tuvaluan languageTuvaluan language
Tuvaluan is a Polynesian language of or closely related to the Ellicean group spoken in Tuvalu. It is more or less distantly related to all other Polynesian languages, such as Hawaiian, Maori, Tahitian, Samoan, and Tongan, and most closely related to the languages spoken on the Polynesian Outliers...
is closely related to other west Polynesian languages including Tokelauan
Tokelauan language
Tokelauan is a Polynesian language closely related to Tuvaluan.-Speakers:It is spoken by about 1,500 people on the atolls of Tokelau, and by the few inhabitants of Swains Island in neighbouring American Samoa. It is a member of the Samoic family of Polynesian languages. It is, alongside English,...
, Samoan
Samoan language
Samoan Samoan Samoan (Gagana Sāmoa, is the language of the Samoan Islands, comprising the independent country of Samoa and the United States territory of American Samoa. It is an official language—alongside English—in both jurisdictions. Samoan, a Polynesian language, is the first language for most...
, and the languages of the Polynesian outlier
Polynesian outlier
Polynesian outliers are a number of culturally Polynesian islands which lie in geographic or political Melanesia and Micronesia. Based on archaeological and linguistic analysis, these islands are believed to have been colonized by seafaring Polynesians, mostly from the area of Tonga, Samoa and...
s. Although the eight Tuvalu communities have distinctive accents and some distinctive vocabulary, the dialects of Tuvalu are mutually intelligible to Tuvalu speakers with the exception of the language of Nui
Nui
Nui is an atoll and one of nine districts of the Pacific Ocean state of Tuvalu. It has a land area of 3.37 km² and a population of 548 .-Geography:Nui consists of at least 21 islets...
atoll, whose inhabitants speak a dialect of the Gilbertese language
Gilbertese language
-External links:**** with Gilbertese – English Translations from – The Rosetta Edition**...
(with the exception of small children, most Tuvaluans from Nui also speak Tuvaluan). With this exception, Tuvaluan is universally understood and spoken in Tuvalu. English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
is also spoken, especially in Tuvalu's capital, and is one of the official language
Official language
An official language is a language that is given a special legal status in a particular country, state, or other jurisdiction. Typically a nation's official language will be the one used in that nation's courts, parliament and administration. However, official status can also be used to give a...
s of the central government.
History
The rich mythical history of Nanumea describes settlement led by an explorer/adventurer and warrior from the south named Tefolaha. Some accounts say Tefolaha and his crew came from TongaTonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
, others name Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
, but whether these names refer to today's Tonga and Samoa is not certain. Tefolaha, traditional accounts say, found the island of Nanumea populated by two women, Pai and Vau, whom it was believed had formed it from baskets of sand. Tefolaha wagered with them for the island and eventually won it through trickery, whereupon Pai and Vau departed. Tefolaha's sons and daughters are today the founding ancestors of leading families and the seven chiefly lineages of Nanumea. Today's population also traces descent from crew members who arrived with Tefolaha, and from later visitors from the far distant and more recent past.
Francisco Antonio Mourelle
Francisco Antonio Mourelle
Francisco Antonio Mourelle de la Rúa was a Galician naval officer and explorer serving the Spanish crown. He was born in 1750 at San Adrián de Corme , near La Coruña, Galicia.-1775 voyage:...
sailed past Nanumea on 5 May 1781, giving it the name ‘San Augustin’. In 1809 Captain Patterson in the brig Elizabeth sighted Nanumea while passing through the northern Tuvalu waters on a trading voyage from Port Jackson, Sydney, Australia to China.
19th century resident Palagi
Palagi
Palagi or papaalagi is a term in Samoan culture of uncertain meaning, but sometimes used to describe foreigners or anything that does not 'belong' to Samoan culture...
traders included: Tom Day (c.1872) and Jack Buckland
Jack Buckland
John Wilberforce Buckland , also known as ‘Tin Jack’, was a remittance man who lived in the South Pacific in the late 19th century. He travelled with Robert Louis Stevenson and his stories of life as an island trader became the inspiration for the character of Tommy Hadden in The Wrecker...
(c.1895).
The population of Nanumea from 1860-1900 is estimated to be between 500 and 650 people.
Governance and Connection to other Nanumean Communities
Nanumea's local government consists of a chiefly council (Fale Kaupule) representing the seven chiefly lines which trace descent from the founder, Tefolaha, or from other key settlers, and an elected high chief (Pulefenua). The island also elects and sends two representatives to the Tuvalu national parliamentParliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
based in the capital, Funafuti
Funafuti
Funafuti is an atoll that forms the capital of the island nation of Tuvalu. It has a population of 4,492 , making it the most populated atoll in the country. It is a narrow sweep of land between 20 and 400 metres wide, encircling a large lagoon 18 km long and 14 km wide, with a surface of...
.
While Nanumea atoll remains the homeland for all Nanumeans, there are increasingly large populations of Nanumeans resident in the capital, Funafuti, in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
(especially Auckland and Wellington), and in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and other Pacific locations
Pacific Rim
The Pacific Rim refers to places around the edge of the Pacific Ocean. The term "Pacific Basin" includes the Pacific Rim and islands in the Pacific Ocean...
. These expatriate
Expatriate
An expatriate is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing...
populations are well-organized, have active elected leadership councils, and keep in close touch with doings in Nanumea itself.
Identity
Nanumean identity and pride is demonstrated in many ways, from the distinctive intonation pattern and vocabulary of its version of Tuvaluan to celebrations including its unique Po o Tefolaha, part of a long holiday covering Christmas, New Year and some weeks beyond. These "Big Days" (Po Lahi) celebrations, marked with noon feasts in the island's community hall, the Ahiga, feature a marathon round of the competitive ball game AnoANO
Ano or ANO may refer to:* Ano, Ethiopia* Ano family, a noble family of Japan* Ano , a sport with two 12 cm balls, conducted at Tuvalu* Abu Nidal Organization, Palestinian Revolutionary Council, founded by Abu Nidal...
, pitting the two village sides, Haumaefa and Lolua, against each other. On January 8 each year, the island's conversion to Christianity over a century ago is commemorated in the Po o Tefolaha, "Tefolaha's Day", also called by some "Aso Pati", which stands for the letters in the Nanumean language phrase "the day of Tefolaha and Jesus." Po Lahi is celebrated in Nanumea itself and by many Nanumean communities overseas, including those in Funafuti, Auckland, Tarawa, Australia and other locations.
A widely recognized symbol of Nanumean identity and unity is the fighting spear, "Kaumaile." Said to have been brought with him by the island's founder, Tefolaha, Kaumaile was used to defeat invaders to Nanumea, most notably by Lapi to defeat a giant, Tuulaapoupou. Recent carbon dating tests have shown that the Kaumaile spear is over 800 years old.
Prominent local people
Maatia ToafaMaatia Toafa
Maatia Toafa is a Tuvaluan politician, representing Nanumea who served two non-consecutive terms as Prime Minister of Tuvalu. He first served as Prime Minister from 2004 to 2006, from the resignation of his predecessor, Saufatu Sopoanga, until the defeat of his Cabinet in the 2006 general election...
, Prime Minister of Tuvalu
Prime Minister of Tuvalu
The Prime Minister of Tuvalu is the head of government of Tuvalu. According to Tuvalu's constitution, the Prime Minister must always be a member of Parliament, and is elected by Parliament in a secret ballot. Because there are no political parties in Tuvalu, any member of Parliament can be...
2004–2006 represented Nanumea in the Parliament of Tuvalu
Parliament of Tuvalu
The Parliament of Tuvalu is the unicameral national legislature in Tuvalu.-History and political culture:...
.
Willy Telavi
Willy Telavi
Willy Telavi is a Tuvaluan politician. He became Prime Minister of Tuvalu on 24 December 2010.-Background:Telavi is from Nanumea. His career in the Tuvalu Police Force culminated in his appointment as Police Commissioner in 1993, a position he held for thirteen years...
from Nanumea was appointed Home Affairs Minister in the Government of Apisai Ielemia
Apisai Ielemia
Apisai Ielemia is a Tuvaluan politician. He served as the tenth Prime Minister of Tuvalu from 2006 to 2010.-Background:...
in 2006.
Lady Naama Maheu Latasi
Naama Maheu Latasi
Naama Maheu Latasi, Lady Latasi is a political figure from the Pacific nation of Tuvalu.-Background and political office:She stood for election in the constituency of Nanumea in 1989 and was elected to the Parliament of Tuvalu...
, the first woman to be elected to the Parliament of Tuvalu
Parliament of Tuvalu
The Parliament of Tuvalu is the unicameral national legislature in Tuvalu.-History and political culture:...
, was elected from the constituency of Nanumea.
Literature
Chambers, Keith S. and Anne2001 Unity of Heart: Culture and Change in a Polynesian Atoll Society.
Prospect Hts, Illinois: Waveland Press (ISBN 1-57766-166-4)
Chambers, Anne
1984 Nanumea. (No. 6 in Atoll Economy: Social Change in Kiribati and Tuvalu.)
Canberra: Australian National University, Development Studies Centre (ISBN 86784-457-4)
Chambers, Keith S.
1984 Heirs of Tefolaha: Tradition and Social Organization in Nanumea, a Polynesian Atoll Community.
Ph.D. Dissertation, Anthropology, University of California, Berkeley (pub. by University Microfilms, Ann Arbor, Michigan)
Laracy, Hugh (editor)
1983 Tuvalu: a History. Suva: University of the South Pacific, Institute of Pacific Studies and Extension Services, and Funafuti: Ministry of Social Services. [21 chapters, maps, photos, appendices. Chapters written by Tuvaluan authors]
External links
- Nanumea.Net—A Website for the People of Nanumea
- Images and further information on the Kaumaile spear from Nanumea.net
- TuvaluIslands.com