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Vaitupu

Coordinates: 07°28′S 178°41′E / 7.467°S 178.683°E / -7.467; 178.683
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For the village in Wallis and Futuna, see Vaitupu, Wallis and Futuna.

Vaitupu
Atoll
Vaitupu atoll from space
Vaitupu atoll from space
Map of Vaitupu, 1931
Map of Vaitupu, 1931
Map of the atoll
Map of the atoll
Vaitupu is located in Tuvalu
Vaitupu
Vaitupu
Location in Tuvalu
Coordinates: 07°28′S 178°41′E / 7.467°S 178.683°E / -7.467; 178.683
CountryTuvalu
Area
 • Total5.6 km2 (2.2 sq mi)
Population
 (2017)
 • Total1,061
 • Density190/km2 (490/sq mi)
ISO 3166 codeTV-VAI

Vaitupu is the largest atoll of the nation of Tuvalu.[1] It is located at 7.48 degrees south and 178.83 degrees east. There are 1,061 people (2017 Census)[2] living on 5.6 square kilometres (2.2 square miles) with the main village being Asau.

History

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Discovery and settlement

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The exact date of Vaitupu's first settlement is unknown. According to oral history, the founder of the Vaitupuan community was a Samoan by the name of Telematua, who arrived in the 16th or 17th century.[3]: 78  However, it is possible that Tongans may have first reached the atoll during the mid-13th century. Vaitupu has maintained contacts with Tonga throughout its history, both peaceful (alliances through marriage) and hostile (visits by Tongan slave-seekers). Vaitupu was also visited by I-Kiribati, and was thus far from isolated.[4] Vaitupu means 'the fountain of water'.

Obed Starbuck—captain of the whaler Loper from Nantucket, Massachusetts—sighted the island on 26 April 1826, naming it 'Tracy Island'.[5] William Plaskett, captain of the Nantucket whaler Independence II, called at Vaitupu on 21 August 1827. Given Starbuck's earlier sighting of the island, the log entry by Plaskett for the day that he rediscovered it suggests the locals hadn't seen another ship before then:[6]

[...] At daylight found it to be a small low island about 6 miles long. [...] Having one native and an interpreter on board who we brought from Rotumah, who formerly belonged to one of the islands about here and who understood their language we learned that they had never seen a ship before. The natives name of this island is voytopu. It is not laid down on the books or charts so we call it a new discovery. Lat.7°-25 [south] Longitude 178°-78 East.

19th century

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The United States Exploring Expedition under Charles Wilkes visited Vaitupu in 1841.[7]

Samoan pastors from the London Missionary Society successfully introduced Christianity to the island in the 1860s. The pastors implemented religious regulations, outlawing many cultural practices. They also introduced the Samoan language, as their Bibles were written in Samoan. Vaitupuans became literate in Samoan rather than in their own language.[8] Henry (Harry) Nitz, the resident trader, helped in the construction of the first church.[9]

Vaitupuans celebrate Te Aso Fiafia (Happy Day) on 25 November of each year. Te Aso Fiafia commemorates 25 November 1887 which was the date on which the final instalment of a debt of $13,000 was repaid to H. M. Ruge and Company, a German trading firm that operated from Apia, Samoa. Vaitupu history is that Thomas William Williams, the Ruge agent, pretended to do his customers a favour by allowing them to obtain goods on credit.[3]: 82  In 1883 the debt of the Vaitupuans was $13,000 and H. M. Ruge and Company had threatened to seize the entire island unless the debt was repaid.[10] Neemia, a Vaitupuan pastor living in Samoa, returned and organised working parties to collect coconuts and prepare copra to sell to pay off the debt, with Henry Nitz, the Webber & Co agent on Vaitupu, contributing money to meet the final payment.[3] The Vaitupuans, with the help of their friends from Funafuti, repaid the debt by the due date.[11] Seven thousand dollars was repaid by 1886 and the balance was paid on 25 November 1887.[12]

Vaitupuan tradition is that chance favoured their efforts, a ship sent to collect the last payment sank, as did the second ship the trading schooner Vaitupulemele.[13] By the time a third ship arrived most of the money had been collected. However, the trading schooner Vaitupulemele appears to have a different role in the history of Vaitupu. The creation of the debt that was repaid to Ruge & Co extended beyond the purchase of goods on credit to include the purchase price of the Vaitupulemele by the Vaitupu Company.[12] While T.M. Williams had been the Ruge agent, he later formed the Vaitupu Company with the Vaitupuan community and purchased the Vaitupulemele from Ruge & Co. However the schooner was lost during a voyage from Samoa and soon after Williams died, leaving no accounting for copra that had been shipped from Vaitupu.[12] In any event the Vaitupuans paid the full amount claimed by Ruge & Co, although that company soon after went into liquidation.[12]

20th century

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Vaitupu Post Office opened around 1916.[14]

Donald Gilbert Kennedy, the resident District Officer in the administration of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony from 1932 to 1938, describe the construction of paopao and of the variations of single-outrigger canoes that had been developed on Vaitupu and Nanumea.[15]

Neli Lifuka was the magistrate on Vaitupu from 1945 to 1951.[16][17] He was instrumental in collecting the funds to purchase Kioa Island in Fiji.[16][18] Initially 37 people migrated from Vaitupu to live on Kioa Island; within a decade, more than 235 people followed.[19]

On 30 January and 1 February 1990, Cyclone Ofa had a major impact on Vaitupu, with around 85 percent of residential homes, trees and food crops being destroyed.[20]

21st century

[edit]

Vaitupu received worldwide attention in 2000, when a fire in a dormitory at the Motufoua school killed 18 girls and a female adult supervisor.[21][22] It was later discovered that the fire was caused by a student using a candle to read during the night.[23][24] The Prime Minister Ionatana Ionatana declared a national tragedy and quickly travelled to the island to witness the aftermath. A memorial service was held the following year in memory of the 18 girls and their matron who died.[25] Tuvaluan leaders as well as parents of the victims attended the memorial service.[26]

In the 2011 Tuvalu drought, Vaitupu experienced the loss of coconut palm trees, pulaka and taro due to the high temperatures and arid soil.[27]

In March 2015, storm surges resulting from Cyclone Pam caused damage to houses, crops and infrastructure.[28][29][30][31]

Geography

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The island, which covers approximately 5.6 square kilometres (2 sq mi), includes swamps, mangroves, a fringing coral reef, and a large lagoon.

Vaitupu atoll consists of at least nine isles:

The biggest island is Vaitupu proper, followed by Tofia.

The only village on Vaitupu consists of the neighbourhoods Tumaseu and Asau. There is a church, Tolise Primary School, at least one guesthouse and a post office. An aquaculture project has been established in the lagoon.

Renewable energy

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See also: Renewable energy in Tuvalu

In 2010 what was then described as the largest diesel-solar photovoltaic (PV) hybrid electricity system in the South Pacific was installed at Motufoua Secondary School.[32] Prior to the instalment of the system the school relied upon a diesel powered generator, which needed to be turned off during the night. The hybrid system systems saves thousands of dollars in diesel costs and provides the school with a 24-hour supply of energy, with up to 200 kWh per day.[33]

In 2014 New Zealand and the European Union agreed to provide finance to the Government of Tuvalu to install battery-backed solar photovoltaic (PV) systems for the outer islands.[34][35] From January to March 2015 Powersmart, a New Zealand company, implemented German solar power technology to build the new Vaitupu powerhouse.[36][37][28]

Transportation and tourism

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There is a wharf on Vaitupu but no harbour, meaning passengers must board a smaller boat from the inter-island passenger/cargo ships to get to the Vaitupu. There are paths and small unpaved roads throughout the island. Only a few cars drive on Vaitupu. In the main village there is a guest house called Vivalia III located at the wharf near the main church.[38]

Culture

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The community activities on Vaitupu include the Nafa Moa and Talo (Taro crops and chickens competition). In this contest the community is divided into two rival teams. Members of each team compete for who can grow the heavier taro or larger chickens; the climax comes with the weigh-off between the competitors, concluding a day of good-natured rivalry and fun.[39]

Demographics

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The population of Vaitupu from 1860 to 1900 is estimated to be 400 people.[40][41] Vaitupu is home to the second-largest population in Tuvalu, numbering 1,576 (2002 Census) and 1,555 (2012 census).[2] Despite its relatively large size, Vaitupu became so overcrowded during the 1940s that a number of families migrated to Fiji to live on Kioa Island.[19]

In the 2012 census, the population of the villages of Vaitupu were:[2]

  • Apalolo - Saniuta: 263
  • Tumaseu: 248
  • Potufale: 230
  • Asau: 198

Politics

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Paulson Panapa and Maina Talia were elected in the 2024 general election.[42][43]

Vaitupu constituency results
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Paulson Panapa 585 32.46
Nonpartisan Maina Talia 448 24.86
Nonpartisan Nielu Meisake 420 23.30
Nonpartisan Isaia Taape 349 19.36

Education

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The primary school on Vaitupu is called Tolise, which was established in 1953.[44] A secondary school called Elisefou (New Ellice), opened in 1923 and closed in 1953 when the boys were transferred to King George V School located in Bikenibeu, South Tarawa.[45] The first headmaster of Elisefou was Donald Gilbert Kennedy, who was a strict disciplinarian who would not hesitate to beat his students. The two most famous Tuvaluans from the school were Tuvalu's first Governor General, Sir Fiatau Penitala Teo and its first Prime Minister, Toaripi Lauti. Kennedy published Field Notes on the Culture of Vaitupu, Ellice Islands in the Journal of the Polynesian Society in instalments between 1929 and 1932 and as a book in 1931.[46][47]

Motufoua Secondary School was established in 1905 by the London Missionary Society. Over time the school has evolved and it is now a boarding school for boys and girls that is administered by the Department of Education. In 2009 the student roll at Motufoua Secondary School was 550.[48] In the 2012 census, 502 people were recorded as being at Motufoua Secondary School.[2]

Notable residents

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The Reverend Sir Filoimea Telito (19 March 1945 – 11 July 2011) as a young man was a teacher at Motufoua Secondary School. After completing theological studies, he returned to Motufoua to serve as Pastor. Later he became Principal of Motufoua. He served as the Governor-General of Tuvalu (2005-2010).[49]

Sir Tomasi Puapua represented Vaitupu in the Parliament of Tuvalu. He was the second Prime Minister (1981–1989). Puapua later served as Governor-General of Tuvalu (1998–2003).

Apisai Ielemia (19 August 1955 – 19 November 2018) represented Vaitupu in the Parliament of Tuvalu. He served as Prime Minister of Tuvalu (2006–2010).

Taukelina Finikaso represented Vaitupu in the parliament from 2006 to 2019. He served as Minister of Communications and Works (2006–2010) and served as the Foreign Minister in the Sopoaga Ministry (2013-2019).[50]

Further reading

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  • Kennedy, Donald Gilbert, 'Field notes on the culture of Vaitupu, Ellice Islands' (1931): Thomas Avery & Sons, New Plymouth, N.Z.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Maps of Tuvalu". Retrieved 15 January 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d "Population of communities in Tuvalu". Thomas Brinkhoff. 2017. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  3. ^ a b c Laupepa, Kalaaki (1983). "Chapter 11 – Vaitupu". In Laracy, Hugh (ed.). Tuvalu: A History. Institute of Pacific Studies, University of the South Pacific and Government of Tuvalu.
  4. ^ Donald G. Kennedy, Field Notes on the Culture of Vaitupu, Ellice Islands, Journal of the Polynesian Society, vol.38, 1929, pp.2–5
  5. ^ Keith S. Chambers & Doug Munro, The Mystery of Gran Cocal: European Discovery and Mis-Discovery in Tuvalu, 89(2) (1980) The Journal of the Polynesian Society, 167–198
  6. ^ Dehner, Steve (2019). THE ARMCHAIR NAVIGATOR I: Supplements to Post-Spanish Discoveries in The Pacific. Bad Tattoo Inc. pp. 21–23.
  7. ^ Tyler, David B. – 1968 The Wilkes Expedition. The First United States Exploring Expedition (1838–42). Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society
  8. ^ Donald G. Kennedy, Field Notes on the Culture of Vaitupu, Ellice Islands, Journal of the Polynesian Society, vol.38, 1929, pp.5–6
  9. ^ Doug Munro, The Lives and Times of Resident Traders in Tuvalu: An Exercise in History from Below, (1987) 10(2) Pacific Studies 73
  10. ^ Doug Munro and Teloma Munro (1985). The Rise and Fall of the Vaitupu Company: An Episode in the Commercial History of Tuvalu. 20 (4) Journal of Pacific History 174-90.
  11. ^ Tito Isala and Doug Munro (1987–2008). Te Aso Fiafia: Te Tala o Te Kamupane Vaitupu 1877–1887. South Pacific Books/Institute of Pacific Studies.
  12. ^ a b c d Laracy, Hugh, ed. (1983). "The 'Ownership' of Niulakita, 1880–1896". Tuvalu: A History. Institute of Pacific Studies, University of the South Pacific and Government of Tuvalu. pp. 196–197.
  13. ^ "New Zealand Herald, Rōrahi XVI, Putanga 5545, 25 Hereturikōkā 1879, Page 4". Shipping News. 1879.
  14. ^ Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
  15. ^ Kennedy, Donald (1931). The Ellice Islands Canoe Journal of the Polynesian Society Memoir no. 9. Journal of the Polynesian Society. pp. 71–100.
  16. ^ a b Lifuka, Neli (1978). "War Years in Funafuti" (PDF). In Koch, Klaus-Friedrich (ed.). Logs in the current of the sea : Neli Lifuka's story of Kioa and the Vaitupu colonists. Australian National University Press/Press of the Langdon Associates. ISBN 0708103626.
  17. ^ Goldsmith, Michael (2008). "8 Telling Lives in Tuvalu". In Lal, Brij V.; Luker, Vicki (eds.). Telling Pacific Lives: Prisms of Process. London: ANU E Press. doi:10.22459/TPL.06.2008. ISBN 978-1-921313-81-3.
  18. ^ Michael Goldsmith, Review of Klaus-Friedrich Koch, Logs in the Current of the Sea, Journal of the Polynesian Society, 87:4 (1978), 361–62
  19. ^ a b G. M. White (1965). Kioa: an Ellice community in Fiji. Project for the Comparative Study of Cultural Change and Stability in Displaced Communities in the Pacific, 1962–63: Oregon University, Department of Anthropology.
  20. ^ Report on the disaster preparedness workshop held in Funafuti, Tuvalu, 14 - 17 October, 1991 (PDF) (Report). Australian Overseas Disaster Response Organisation. April 1992. pp. 2–3, 6. ISBN 1875405054. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
  21. ^ Keith-Reid, Robert (10 March 2000). "Schoolgirls die in horror blaze". The Independent (London). Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  22. ^ "19 Die in Tuvalu Dormitory Blaze". CBS news (US). 10 March 2000. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  23. ^ Johnston, Martin (30 June 2000). "Student to blame for Tuvalu fire". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
  24. ^ Seluka, Marica (March 2000). "Motufoua Fire Tragedy – The Story from Tuvalu". Tuvalu Philatelic Bureau Newsletter/Tuvalu Online. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  25. ^ "Tuvalu to Issue Stamps for Motufoua Fire Victims". Tuvalu Online. 27 February 2001. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  26. ^ Resture, Jane (March 2000). "Photographs of Clive Smith taken at the Motufoua Memorial Service 9th March 2001". Tuvalu Philatelic Bureau Newsletter/ Tuvalu Online. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  27. ^ Panapa, Tufoua (2012). "Ethnographic Research on Meanings and Practices of Health in Tuvalu: A Community Report" (PDF). Report to the Tuvaluan Ministries of Health and Education: PhD Candidate Centre for Development Studies – "Transnational Pacific Health through the Lens of Tuberculosis" Research Group. Department of Anthropology, The University of Auckland, N.Z. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
  28. ^ a b "Wild weather in Tuvalu". Tuvalu Solar Project Team Blog. 11 March 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
  29. ^ "Tuvalu: Tropical Cyclone Pam Situation Report No. 1 (as of 22 March 2015)". Relief Web. 22 March 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  30. ^ "Tuvalu: Tropical Cyclone Pam Situation Report No. 2 (as of 30 March 2015)". Relief Web. 30 March 2015. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  31. ^ "Forgotten paradise under water". United Nations Development Programme. 1 May 2015. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
  32. ^ "Motufoua Secondary School solar project – Battery buffered, grid parallel PV solar system". EcoGeneration. May–June 2010. Archived from the original on 19 August 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  33. ^ "Off-grid power supply for Motufoua Secondary School" (PDF). SMA Solar Technology. 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  34. ^ "NZ helps support renewable energy in Tuvalu". TVNZ ONE News. 24 April 2014.
  35. ^ "European Union powers up Tuvalu". Jet Newspaper. 28 March 2014. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  36. ^ "Discharge on Vaitupu". Tuvalu Solar Project Team Blog. 23 January 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
  37. ^ "Solar 101". Tuvalu Solar Project Team Blog. 6 March 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
  38. ^ "Ambassador Liao and Mrs. Liao Accompanied the Prime Minister of Tuvalu Hon. Ielemia and Madame Ielemia on the Last Leg of their National Tour (Serial Report on Tuvalu's Ceremonial Customs, Part II)". Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan), Funafuti, Tuvalu. 17 April 2008. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
  39. ^ Panapa, Tufoua (2012). "Ethnographic Research on Meanings and Practices of Health in Tuvalu: A Community Report" (PDF). Report to the Tuvaluan Ministries of Health and Education: PhD Candidate Centre for Development Studies – "Transnational Pacific Health through the Lens of Tuberculosis" Research Group. Department of Anthropology, The University of Auckland, N.Z. pp. 42–44. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
  40. ^ W.F. Newton, The Early Population of the Ellice Islands, 76(2) (1967) The Journal of the Polynesian Society, 197–204.
  41. ^ Richard Bedford, Barrie Macdonald & Doug Monro, Population Estimates for Kiribati and Tuvalu (1980) 89(1) Journal of the Polynesian Society 199
  42. ^ "Tuvalu general election: Six newcomers in parliament". Radio New Zealand. 29 January 2024. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  43. ^ Marinaccio, Jess (30 January 2024). "Tuvalu's 2024 general election: a new political landscape". PolicyDevBlog. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  44. ^ "Opening of Tolise & Motufoua Athletics Championship 2011". Tuvalu Athletics Association (TAA). 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  45. ^ "G. and E. Education – Problems Arising From Lack of English". XXV(8) Pacific Islands Monthly. 1 March 1955. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  46. ^ Laracy, Hugh (2013). "Chapter 11 - Donald Gilbert Kennedy (1897–1967) An outsider in the Colonial Service" (PDF). Watriama and Co: Further Pacific Islands Portraits. Australian National University Press. ISBN 9781921666322.
  47. ^ Butcher, Mike (2012). ... when the long trick's over: Donald Kennedy in the Pacific. Holland House, Kennington, Vic. ISBN 978-0-9871627-0-0.
  48. ^ Salanieta Bakalevu (Project Coordinator), David Manuella, Tuvalu USP Campus (June 2011). "Open Schooling as a Strategy for Second-chance Education in the Pacific: A desk study report" (PDF). Commonwealth of Learning (COL) / University of the South Pacific. pp. 96–100. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 May 2013. Retrieved 20 November 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  49. ^ "State Funeral of the late former Governor General of Tuvalu, Reverend Sir Filoimea Telito, GCMG, MBE" (PDF). Tuvalu Philatelic Bureau Newsletter (TPB: 01/2011). 25 July 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  50. ^ "Enele Sopoaga Sworn-in Today as Tuvalu's New PM". Islands Business. 5 August 2013. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
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