I OFTEN wondered why people of Lau in Malaita Province had to endure such a tedious and laborious task of building artificial islands whilst there is vast uninhabited land on the mainland.
This question has led me on the quest for answers and to right the many myths surrounding the “Salt Water” people as they come to be known.
I also began to question why these once populated and lively islands neglected to fall into ruins and utter disrepair.
Built from sea boulders specially selected from the lagoon, the artificial islands were created with the noblest of intentions.
Firstly, to enable advance preparation from the many and frequent attacks mounted by other tribes.
Secondly, to escape the fly and mosquito invested coastal areas of the mainland that brought about sicknesses and diseases that decimated portions of the population every year but often blamed on black magic and witchcraft that were prevalent in those days.
Thirdly, the sea played an important role in the diet of these people and the tide was a determinant of the types of fish and where to catch them.
Very often the right tide was misjudged and fishing trips had to be aborted to the dismay of the whole family who had to do without fish at meal times.
To build an artificial island, a site in the lagoon be first identified.
A suitable site was usually in a cove with a deeper sea passage way separating the mainland and the island.
These deeper passage ways replaced the palisades normally built around tribal homes on the mainland as a fortification from attacks from other tribes.
Islanders usually had the upper hand in the event of an attack as they normally counter attack when their assailants were still struggling to stand their ground.
Islands also lessened tribal warfare incidences as mainland tribes fear heavy losses in the event of a clash attributed to sea.
Usually tools such as sticks and ropes used were chosen based on their durability and strength to dig up and break down boulders into manageable and portable sizes.
Sea stone was preferred to its mainland cousin because the latter disintegrated easily when exposed to salt water.
Stones and boulders were dug and broken down during low tides.
Moving these stones and boulders to the site was done during high tides to lessen the effort of lifting.
Transporting these stones and boulders was done using specially made rafts.
The rafts were made from two logs tied parallel to each other at about two meters apart.
Sticks were then placed across the logs in a mat format to hold the stones in place during transportation.
Canoes could not be used for this task because stones were normally rough and could easily break the thin curved interiors and thus making them unusable.
Once there were enough stones, transportation could begin to the site and construction followed.
Stones were placed on top of each other and the island slowly took shape. The height of the island was usually determined by the highest tide.
Often not more than twenty square meters in size, these islands hosted sixty to seventy families at a time.
These islands had stood the test of times and had served generations.
Populated as they once were, the islands were often boisterous with screeching children swimming in the shallow waters of the lagoon.
Houses lined the fringes of the islands on stilts in close proximity so much so even the quietest of conversation from the next house could be heard in its minute detail.
The islands were a center of life for the Salt Water people where almost all activities were held.
Canoes dug from round logs provided the only means of transport and could be seen criss-crossing the shallow lagoon waters transporting the necessary food, water and other needed items from the mainland.
Most of the once lively islands now lie in ruins, uninhabited and poised ghostly against the horizon.
Boulders that once hold the islands together crumbled and scattered by the elements like heaps of clothes tossed carelessly on the floor.
Bushes and trees over took the islands, a vivid testimony of no human habitation. Where have all the people gone and why?
The advent of Christianity has a hand in the rundown and vacation of the islands. Islanders moved to the mainland closer to where they could worship their new Christian God. Most of the islands were heathen and ancestral worshipping was the norm of the day.
The islanders felt that they were bounded by many taboos and prohibitions by their traditional religion.
The free atmosphere, the Christian message of love and the encompassing attitude of Christians has a special appeal to them.
The arrival of law on these shores eased the fear of attack by others making it possible for islanders to move freely.
Islanders saw this as an opportunity to expand their horizon and maximize the use of these new opportunities and goods provided under the new status quo.
As a result, they moved to settle closer to the center of these activities so they could fully participate and be part of the new excitements and freedom.
The introduction of foreign goods that coincided with the advent of Europeans was by far the greatest bait that lured islanders out from their once bustling islands.
Islanders moved to the mainland to farm the once uninhabited lands with coconut plantations in order to trade.
Goods such as metal axes, knives and cooking pots were particularly attractive as they made life millions of times easier. This gave islanders their first taste of civilization.
A civilization that even today can-not be fully satisfied.
Though some islands are still inhabited today, many now lie in ruins and disrepair, a testimony to the many changes brought about through their contact with the outside world.
However, each of these islands has its unique story to tell.
A story of a peoples’ quest for survival in a challenging and hostile environment and the adaptation strategies they devised to keep them one step ahead of their foes.
A story of struggle against man and nature written in a simple pile of stones that now scattered the lagoon.
By SAMSON SADE