Oceanian Journeys and Sojourns by Judith A. Bennett

Author:Judith A. Bennett [Bennett, Judith A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781877578885
Barnesnoble:
Publisher: Otago University Press
Published: 2015-07-01T00:00:00+00:00

Weaving identities from vera

In my tuhu vera around the Pacific and the world I have built layers of identities that are informed and enriched by my experiences. As illustrated above, I have lela and tuhu vera for the purposes of sasani (school) and aqo vaka (formal employment). In spite of this, I am always connected to my Tasimauri vera (home/place). This connection is rooted in land, genealogy and clan and cannot be taken away or lost just because of my mobility. Rather, it defines and informs my journeys and identities. In me, as in other Melanesians, mobility and stability co-exist. Joël Bonnemaison (1985, 30) captured the essence of this reality:

Can the tree, symbol of rootedness and stability, be reconciled with the canoe, symbol of journeying and unrestricted wandering? At first sight, apparently not. Nevertheless, Melanesian civilization uses this dual metaphor, this apparent contradiction, to define traditional identity. On the island of Tanna in Vanuatu, they say that man is a tree and must take root and stay fixed in its place. The local group, on the other hand, is the canoe that follows ‘roads’ and explores the wide world. For traditional society, this metaphor would not present a paradox.

There are some aspects of my story and experiences that are similar to those of others, but not all are universal. Some are unique and provide a window into Tasimauri conceptions of place/home, mobility and identity, and so contribute to the broader discussions of these concepts. In Tasimauri, the idea of home – as encompassed in the concept of vera – is not only a geographical location, but also genealogical and clan locations. The genealogy of ancestors and manukiki clan define my identity and then connect me to land. Consequently, I could move and even own a house or live for extended periods in other places (as I have done), but without genealogical or clan connections to these places I do not regard them as home. While I might be mobile, home is not. For me, a Tasimauri man of a particular generation, mobility is not about disconnections. Rather, it is about creating new connections while at the same time maintaining one’s roots in vera; that is what directs and defines one’s mobility.

Even though I moved away from Tasimauri, my experiences reinforce the fact that identity and its construction are closely connected. Identity is contextual. One constructs it vis-à-vis other individuals or groups. It grows as I interact with others, as I define and redefine myself in relation to them. This is not unique to me, or to Tasimauri people. Howard and Howard (1977) discuss how Rotumans conceived of and created a distinct identity out of interacting with other people in both Suva and other towns in Fiji. Relocated individuals also identify with others with common interests – same island, same school, same job, same religion (Bathgate 1985; Bellam 1970). This may not be identical from person to person but, in spite of individual differences, all are wantok (own kind). My tuhu

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