Tattoo Traditions, and History of Sikaiana, Compared to Tattoo Traditions, and History of Ontong Java

William Sherman

Tricia Allen

HWST 273, CPN 62452

Research Project

March 12, 2013

Tattoo Traditions, and History of Sikaiana, Compared to Tattoo Traditions, and History of Ontong Java

            Sikaiana, is a secluded atoll that is on the north east of Malait. Malait is located near the Solomon Islands. A Spanish explorer, and navigator, by the name of Pedro Fernandes de Queirós, was one of the first foreigners that supposedly, “discovered” Sikaiana and the Solomon Islands during his 1595 voyage. Sikaiana was formerly known as the Stewart Island, during 1809, when William Stewart, a first lieutenant of the naval ship known as, Pegasus, visited the island from Port Jackson Australia, He investigated the island, and named the island after himself. According to a report that submitted from, (H. MacQuarrie. 1924) “The Stewart Islands Atoll lies between longitude 162 – 30” and 163             E. and between latitude 8 – 15” and 9 – 30” S. Owing to its isolated position and its lack of anchorages the atoll is but seldom visited. A trader calls for copra twice a year.” This gives a better mental picture of what the atoll is; today the current population is around 300. In the early 19^th century missionaries came to the island to convert the natives in 1929, along with them were also, whalers, traders. That came and made their mark on the culture.

 

Sikaiana is still kept traditional; the native people still use oral tradition to pass on their legend to future generations. They are skillful in making canoes, and they are also familiar with making outrigger canoes. Their knowledge was not only limited to just canoe making, they also knew how to, cook coconuts to make copra; a dried flesh inside coconut, that is substantially valuable for production in today’s market. Their diet consist of, fish, taro, and coconut, making a very healthy race of people. Their men have handsomely rogued faces and a very nice crispy complexion. However they aren’t very tall men averaging about 5 feet 12 inches, they do make up their height with their humble attitude and charming smiles. Men’s tattoos have a very masculine effect, it is very distinct, to see the difference between, a male tattoo and a female tattoo, as displayed here. 

  According to Donner, William, on Sikaiana Archives “These are pictures of some traditional tattoos. Not all men were tattooed on the arms. All women were tattooed on the belly and thighes.  Missionary teachings opposed tattooing and the last traditional tattoos were probably done in the 1940s. In the 1980s, there were still some living older women who had belly and thigh tattoos. There were no living men or women with arm tattoos. Some Sikaiana people, especially men, had a variety of tattoos that were done in different styles and not part of a shared ritual tradition. These pictures were taken in 1933 by the Templeton-Crocker expedition. The drawings were made by Henry Teloto using drawings from government reports”.

Donner, William w. "Chapter 7: Gender." Sikaiana Archives. Wordpress.org, n.d. Web. 22 Mar. 2013.”In former times, Sikaiana men and women periodically divided into separate groups and composed humorous songs to criticize the opposite sex. Reuben Tenai, my neighbor, was interested in these songs and, as the catechist, often organized the singing and dancing that accompany religious festivities”.

 The women are also very beautiful in Sikaiana. When the women were tattooed they would have beautifully tattooed lines, going horizontally down the center of their chest, ending at the upper part of their piko (belly button). Here I will display an image, called Taataa Manava Haahine, This picture was taken in 1933 by the Templeton-Crocker expedition

and this picture was drawn by Henry

Teloto   they also have an interesting arm tattoo known as Te Taataa Kapakau Hahine, here is another illustration by  Henry Teloto this tattoo carries shapes and simplistic design of fish. The religious and authoritative missionaries were extremely against tattoos, they believed that tattoos were an abomination of the human body.

According to Woodford, C.M. (1906). “Some Account of Sikaiana or Stewart’s Island in the British Solomon Islands Protectorate.” Man 6(102-103): 164-169. “The tattoo artistry of Sikaiana was not as complex nor as encompassing as that found on Ontong, but it was performed with a comb tool called matau’u (the same word as in Tikopia) made from frigate bone. As among the Ontongese, men carried four motifs on their hips that earlier observers called “sharks”, but the word given for these motifs was atu which, according to Sikaianese dictionaries, is an old term meaning “to fish for bonito.” On the sternum is a nearly identical tattoo seen on Ontong that was also called “big fish.”

According to Bayliss-Smith, Tim. “Tattooing on Ontong Java, Solomon Islands.”JSTOR.N.p.,n.d. Web.26 Mar. 2013. “This year, some 200 years after the Polynesian word “tattoo” (Tahitian,  Tatau first entered  the English language, is likely to see the final disappearance of the traditional practice of Polynesian tattooing. To my knowledge the Polynesian Outliers were the last places in Polynesia where full customary tattooing was carried out, but since the 1950s it has lapsed on Tikopia, Rennell and Bellona with Christian influence and changing cultural values” Ontong Java is an atoll, this is a mad that was created by H.I. Hogbin, and was published in 1934 as displayed in the image. also known as Luangiua. It is very unlike Sikaiana that is because it is perhaps the biggist atoll in the Pacifc Ocean. Ontong Java is very close to Malaita Province, and is primarily part of the Solomon Islands. For an over simplification, you could look at Ontong Java and Sikaiana as brother and sister islands.

            About 2000 people live on the atoll of Ontong Java towering the population of Sikaiana. It was first man that sighted Ontong Java was by Alvaro de Medana in 1568, It has been named more than once by many different explorers. The first European explorer that sighted the island was Abel Tasman in 1643, he was the man who named the island Ontong Java. However John Hunter another European explorer renamed Ontong Java to be Lord Howe atoll in 1893. The islands were annexed by Germany and later Great Britain took over in 1899.During a German expedition in 1908-1910. The island was given yet another name by the Ethnographers known as Ernst Sarfert and Hans Damm, they both claimed that both previous names were wrong and that the island is to be known as Luangiua.  Ontong Java has very different tattoo motifs then Sikaiana. According to this image of an Ontong Java women Intricate body tattoo patterns of an Ontong Java women, ca. 1880. You will see a full body suit covering adequately,

The women’s s tattoos start to slowly take an evolution in the 20^th century. This face tattoo from “Facial and body tattoos of Ontong Java women, 1990s. Photographs © Tim Rock”.  Looks very similar to a New Zealand tattoo known as a, moko kauae, which is basically a chin tattoo,

               In conclusion the islands of Sikaiana and Ontong Java, have very interesting differences, with one island (Sikaiana) being a much smaller island then the island of Ontong Java, they carry both key differences in both, history and tattoo. However the culture remains the same, as they have a fascinating culture of people with very interesting motifs to learn and express on.