In 1990, I made my only visit to my mother’s birthplace of Atafu, Tokelau. I would finally visit places my mother had reminisced about throughout my childhood – Fale, the island on which the Atafu village is situated and the name of the administrative centre of the village; Palehau, her family’s traditional residence; Te Oki, the neighbouring large islet from Fale where many day trips and picnics were had, and balmy nights were spent “camping” with extended family.
So many stories, and so little space. However, I will restrict myself here to the importance of pearl-shell fish lures in Tokelau culture and how these are circulated in the most egalitarian of communities.
In pre-contact Tokelau, pearl-shells were the single most precious item. So valuable they were taken from Atafu and Nukunonu as gifts to decorate the god-house of Tui Tokelau, the supreme god of Tokelau, at Fakaofo.
Horatio Hale of The United States Exploring Expedition wrote in 1846 upon inspecting the god-house, “Around the inside of the eaves, a row of mother-of-pearl-shells was suspended…” Twenty years later in 1889, J. J. Lister observed during his 10-day stay on Fakaofo that prestige gifts continued to be presented by Atafu and Nukunonu, of the pearl-shells he writes, “…the pearl-shells were placed along the eaves of the house sacred to the god…”
These quotes are indicative of cultural continuity and change over time. Tui Tokelau has now been abandoned; the god-house is no longer; it has transformed to become the falefono (the village meeting house); Fakaofo no longer requires ‘gifts’ of fine mats and pearl-shells from Atafu and Nukunonu; but the tifa (pearl-shells) continue to be a most treasured resource to this day.
Top image: Pa atu (fishing lure); AWMM 1970.208, 43860.
Bottom image: The Tui Tokelau and god-house at Fakaofo. Painting by Agate, artist on the The United States Exploring Expedition, 1841.