of unification, too

Gilbertese, Ellice in need of unification, too

Says Our Roving Staff Writer

“In view of the number of Ellice Islanders now working in the office of the District Commissioner of the Gilberts, which is intended to serve the interest of the Gilbert Islands, it is recommended that the numbers be reduced to none.”

This motion, put to the GEIC’s House of Representatives in De cember by a Gilbertese, Tekinene Tetabo, the Member for Abemama, failed.

However, the very fact that it was put to the colony's parliament high lighted what is already an embarrass ment for the Tarawa government, and a potential problem for the two atoll groups—the fact that there is little love lost between islanders of the Gilberts and islanders of the Ellice Islands.

There are 44,000-odd Gilbertese, of Micronesian extraction, and 6,000odd Ellice Islanders, of Polynesian extraction. But the Ellice Islanders hold down more jobs in government departments in headquarters at Tarawa —which is Gilbertese home ground, and there is Gilbertese resentment at this.

In turn, Ellice Islanders fear that the more-numerous Gilbertese would gain overwhelming political power should Britain give the GEIC inde pendence. This would mean, say

Ellice Islanders, that the Ellice Islands would become neglected, if not oppressed.

It’s impossible to gauge exactly the extent of the resentment between the two groups, because both groups appear so friendly.

But it takes only a few cans of Victoria Bitter at Bikenibeu’s popular Otintai tavern, or a brawl at one of Tarawa’s numerous dances, to show that beneath all those kona mauris (good mornings) and gifts of coconut milk, the laughing atoll dweller has his adjustment problems.

At least 600 Ellice Islanders now hve on Tarawa—and that means Betio, Bairiki and Bikenibeu—and many of them are public servants.

More serious

One reason why the Ellice Islanders have done so well at the expense of their Micronesian cousins could be that education was disrupted in the Gilberts for about four years by World War 11, while missionary (mainly Protestant) education was not badly affected in the Ellice Group for this period.

In addition, the Ellice Islanders take life more seriously than the Gilbertese. They are politically aware, and concerned about the future of the colony, and many, in evitably, are ambitious.

Gilbertese, on the other hand, prefer to talk fishing, or to dance or drink; they’re more superstitious and many of them, particularly the older ones, won’t venture outside their huts at night for fear of spirits and ghosts.

A Gilbertese “can’t afford’ 7 his land or his copra tax, he can't pay for his children’s schooling, but he can afford 20 or 30 cents to go to the movies.

Like it or lump it, today Ellice Islanders, in relation to their num bers, have won the race for govern ment jobs and this fact has em barrassed the GEIC Government at a time when it is trying hard to unify the two groups of islanders.

Rev. losia Taomia, who speaks for the Ellice Islanders as Ellice member of the GEIC Governing Council.