Linguistic Anthropology Commons^™

003 Tehui Atahu, Oral Legend

Sikaiana Oral Stories

The Story of Tehui Atahu

This is a transcript and translation of 12 pages given to me by Edwin Huilani on Sikaiana, in 1981-2. The story is about the founder hero of Sikaiana, Tehui Atahu. The back page of the manuscript is dated August 1972. Although I do not know the source, the story follows closely the stories that I heard on Sikaiana, although there are several different versions with minor differences. The original and translation should be of interest to Sikaiana people and might be an aid in language preservation.

05 Holau, The Voyage Of Mr. Boe, Mark Etua, Pita Sharples, Priscilla Taulupo, Bill Donner

Sikaiana Oral Stories

This is the story of the last (or one of the last) voyages (holau) from Sikaiana. It was recorded by Mark Etua as part of linguistic research done by Peter Sharples among the Sikaiana. The transcription into the Sikaiana language was done by Priscilla Taulupo and the rough translation by Bill Donner (sorry for any errors).

Traditionally, Sikaiana people were master voyagers, capable of traveling hundreds of kilometers. This voyage was probably conducted in the 1920s by a trader for Lever Brothers in his dinghy when he was short of supplies. He had several Sikaiana people help, including …

04 Taupule, A Woman From Tuvalu, Johnson Siota, Pita Sharples Dr, Priscilla Taulupo, Bill Donner

Sikaiana Oral Stories

This recording was made by Johnson Siota was part of linguistic research conducted by Dr. Pita Sharples among the Sikaiana people of the Solomon Islands n the 1960s. The transcription in Sikaiana is by Priscilla Taulupo and the rough translation is by Bill Donner. The story of Taupule was well known to Sikaiana people during my stays in the 1980s on Sikaiana. She came from the Tuvalu and was dropped off on Sikaiana by a trader during her pregnancy, sometime in the late 1800s. She warned traders that life would change from contact with Europeans. her descendants felt a certain …