Colonial outpost, Tabiteuea: Grand for tourists, if not

tourists, if not for residents

By KEN McGREGOR, Travelling in the GEIC.

Tabiteuea, a mere 200 miles south of Tarawa, could well be 2,000 miles away (or seven hours by jet instead of the current two hours flight by Heron aircraft) for all the similiarity there is between development on these two islands of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony.

In July I spent nine days on North Tabiteuea, at the Catholic Sacred Heart Mission, Tanaeang Village, The last time I visited the atoll was for a few hours briefly in December, 1968, off the inter-island 70-tonner Temauri.

To get a good idea of how much really hasn’t happened in the GEIC, visitors must put in a few days on an outer atoll. Any atoll—Abemama, Kuria, Bern, Nonouti, Onotoa—but not the capital, Tarawa.

For the tourist this untouched nature of things can be very pleasant.

But for the villagers, lack of pro gress means insufficient schooling, medicine, social advice and the sort of advancement which, even if tourists and idealists decry, should at least be a matter of choice for the people of the atoll.

The changes that have accompanied nearly 80 years of the British rule are negligible. Lack of development there is “appalling”, I was told by the British, Australian and New Zea land civil servants who have ventured outside Tarawa.

For the tourist there’s the scenery, with everything au naturel, wide placid lagoons and beautiful sunsets.

And the islanders, shy but friendly and courteous. Tremendous fishing, with schnapper and turtles delicious and easy to catch. Peace and quiet there is, too, and the pace of work almost nil.

Sounds great for the jaded business man who doesn’t mind roughing it for the price of peace of mind. He doesn’t even have to trouble speaking English.

On North Tabiteuea there are no Europeans except a Father and Sister m the mission. English is not spoken outside of six government and mission schools. Education for most children ends at 12 years of age. Exceptions go to high schools at Tarawa and Abaiang but everyone else goes back to their village.

The girls marry at 16 or 17 and the boys who don’t marry become exponents of a Gilbertese national sport—drinking potent sour toddy.

There’s no electricity, no water

system, no wharf, no cinema, no operating car or truck, no street lamps and, of course, telephones and tele vision are unheard of. .

The island’s one narrow, dusty road along the length of the atoll is pot-holed and untidy. The hospital is modest, and staffed by a Fiji-trained Ellice Islands doctor, whose supply of medicines at least, has been greatly enhanced by twice-weekly Tarawa air services since last year.

North Tabiteuea’s four Wholesale Society and Co-op. stores are ugly, tiny and pretty bare (blame here must partly be put on the inter island government shipping services).

The Sister of the mission says ship ping was better before 1939!

At the government station, there is a 20-prisoner gaol frequently full with drunks, pig stealers, toddy stabbers (the island is infamous for its stabbings resulting from drunken brawls), owners of ill-equipped bicycles and trespassers.

Under the direction of Mr. R. E, N.

Smith, District Commissioner, Gilberts, North Tabiteuea is, as other atolls, governed by an island execu tive officer (government-appointed) and an elected island council. In most spheres, the lEO has the say, but on big disputes between the council and the lEO, the problem is re ferred to Mr. Smith or his depart ment.

Financing is more involved. If council wants to spend $2O to build a new flagpole, for example, per mission has to be granted from Tarawa.

The $2O request is forwarded to the District Office, Betio, Tarawa, which in turn makes its comment and re-addresses it to the GEIC’s Secretariat, Bairiki. Often it is many weeks before that final OK returns to Tabiteuea.

One councillor told me it took 11 months to receive permission to spend $lO on three ledgers.

While council is supposed to run outer islands, I understand each of

Children of Tabiteuea.

the several villages on every atoll handles affairs much as they always did. North Tabiteuea would definitely be in the maneaha, or village club.

The council, with little respect and its accounts years out of date, is a figurehead.

Britain then, to North Tabiteuea means a modest clinic or hospital, a doctor, maybe, an lEO, a toothless council, a police station and several pathetic stores. And —oh, yes—they have whacked up a lagoon-mud air strip for tiny planes to land. Waiting for tourism?