Polynesian

Letters

potshots

and reply

The letters published below from Francis Sanford, vice president of the government council of French Polynesia, and Marc Tevane, government council member responsible for ‘public health and population, quality of life, and cultural affairs’, were received by PIM under cover of the text of a resolution carried on March 24 by the government council.

The resolution, unanimously adopted, expressed the coun cil’s ‘shock and indignation’ at the Postmark Papeete’ article appearing in PlM’s March issue, fully endorsed the con tents of the letters of Messrs Sanford and Tevane, and, further, formally requested that they be published in PIM as well as in a number of French-language publications circulating in various parts of the Pacific.

PIM hereby accedes to the request of the government council of French Polynesia by

publishing the Wo letters re ferred to. We also publish a reply to the two letters from the authors of the article to which objection has been taken, Marie-Therese and Bengt Danielsson.

The documents sent to us from Papeete by the govern ment council of French Poly nesia are in French. As a courtesy to the council, and to Messrs Sanford and Tevane, PIM has translated them into English. • • • Notwithstanding years-long but peaceful battling by my friends and myself to win internal autonomy for Polynesia; nothwithstanding the experi ence of the past five years, during which we have suc ceeded in taking our local society along the path to greater independence, greater justice, and a greater and more equitably shared enjoyment of life; notwithstanding the care we have always exercised to ensure that this development takes place in conditions of calm and order; notwithstand ing the progress achieved in all spheres of activity notwith standing all this, your magazine still refuses to accept what seems to be obvious to everyone, in Polynesia and in the rest of the Pacific.

Through the pens of its corre spondents in Tahiti, it system atically, every month, de molishes, distorts, and decries.

In polemical and partisan style which too often strays far from realities it presents an image of our Polynesia which is as false as it is unfair.

The latest article in the March issue of your magazine is

yet another flagrant case of misplaced irony skilfully presented it is true which is not only calculated to outrage the individual who bears res ponsibility for Polynesia’s teritorial affairs, but is wound ing also for all Polynesians with a sense of pride in their history.

I have no wish to see PIM suddenly presenting the politi cal, social and economic scene in Polynesia in the opposite way to what it now does that is, in a flattering, obsequious vein. On the contrary, well-founded criti cisms have always seemed to me to be positive and necessary, especially as they concern a public man and the policies he is pursuing.

But they must be well founded, and should never take on the character of some kind of dubious exericise in destabilis ation, mixed in with a bitterness and rancour unworthy of the authors of these articles.

Francis Ariioehau

Sanford

In their article in the March issue of your magazine, Mr and Mrs Danielsson assert that Pro fessor Sinoto of the Bishop Museum has received no financial assistance from Poly nesia in undertaking his import ant archaeological diggings on the island of Huahine. I wish to make the following points: Professor Sinoto has received from Territorial funds, in the context of the Territory’s heri tage institution: in 1980, 513 650 FCP; in 1981, 1 650 190, and 1 723 350; in 1982 1 564 136, and 621 010.

From the National Associ ation for Archaeological Dig gings: in 1979, 424 915; in 1980,312 600; in 1981 545 000.

From the Archaeology De partment (from its own budget): in 1979 250 000; in 1980 84 000.

So the total of funds received by Professor Sinoto since 1979 is FCP7 688 841, or about

Sa7S 000.

As the descendant of 50-odd generations of Polynesians, and as the person responsible for culture over the past five years, you will readily understand how hurt I have been by the false statements regularly emanating from your Tahiti correspon dents.

But as a human being, I

cannot but feel a certain disdain for people who, guests at our Polynesian table for 25 years now, and often joining us in our communal feasts, are forever complaining about the food, criticising the table-setting, and denigrating the service that is offered to them.

Marc Tevane

Marie-Therese and Bengt Danielsson reply: It is sad indeed to see that our old friend Francis Sanford is still clinging to a dangerous illusion, and that, as a result, he will soon be pushed off the pedestal on which a grateful Polynesian people have put him.

His illusion is his firm belief that the new constitution con ferred or rather imposed by the government of Giscard d’Estaing in 1977 endowed the territory with the Cook Islands type of internal self-government for which he and the other Autonomist leaders had been fighting so long and so courageously.

In our capacity as political journalists, we have from the beginning criticised this suppos edly new constitution as perpetuating and strengthen ing, in slightly different forms and terms, the century-old French colonial regime. Thus, the French Government, through its High Commiss ioner, to this day retains full control over defence (including nuclear testing), foreign affairs, police, courts, immigration, the monetary system, overseas trade, air traffic, fishing rights, ocean wealth, scientific re search, cultural affairs, higher education, broadcasting and TV, and the entire civil service, run by more than 1000 expatri ate Frenchmen.

The main thing this leaves in the hands of the elected rep resentatives of the Polynesian people is the troublesome task of balancing the budget with the help of customs revenues, which hit hardest at people in low income categories, i.e., the Polynesians.

One after another, all local political leaders have rejected this neo-colonial constitution and in no uncertain terms. They have all come out in favour either of full and genuine internal self-government, or

Dr Yosihiko Sinoto (right) examines a 1000 year old adze discovered intact on Huahine Island. With him is Dr Douglas Yen. To what extent did he receive financial assistance from the Territory of French Polynesia for his excavations?

outright independence. The most spectacular turn-about in this regard was effected two years ago by Gaston Flosse, leader of the Gaullist party, Tahoeraa Huiraatira (PIM May ’BO p 27).

Today, Francis Sanford alone is happy with the constitution, and we must therefore predict that he will be the main loser in the elections of May 23 for renewal of the Territorial As sembly.

Concerning Marc Tevane’s letter, in our March article we told the story of the sensational archaeological discoveries made at Huahine, French Poly nesia, between 1973 and 1977 by Professor Yosihiko Sinoto of the Bernice P. Bishop Museum of Honolulu. Unavoidably, we described in rather scathing terms the official indifference, and scandalous lack of support, from the French administration for Professor Sinoto over these five years.

The Government Councillor for Cultural Affairs, Marc Tevane, says that he feels very hurt by these accusations, and seeks to refute them by listing the impressive sums (altogether about SA7S 000) devoted to archaeological research in much later years. This can only be described as a deliberate attempt to mislead PIM readers.

The person best qualified to set the record straight is of course Professor Yosihiko Sinoto himself. He has written to us as follows: ‘Your article on the excavations and their re sults and significance is well presented. I am glad PIM readers are now aware of such an important site in the Society Islands. ‘Last year I did not receive a grant during the period of my fieldwork, and only received a portion of it on December 15, 1981. When the rest is coming, I don’t know.’

The exact amount spent by the Bishop Museum on the 1973-77 fieldwork on Huahine was SUS7O 625. The Territory of French Polynesia gave not one cent.

The museum’s accounts also reveal that Marc Tevane’s figures are totally inaccurate: the amount representing the territory’s contribution to the

archaeological work under taken by Professor Sinoto at a much later period was not FCP7 688 841, or roughly SA7S 000. Much more mod estly, it was FCP3 893 840, or about SA37 000.

Encouraged by Marc Tev ane’s belated attempts to intro duce effective accounting pro cedures, we should like to ask him to furnish additional figures concerning an even more serious problem, for which he is responsible in his other capacity as government councillor for public health.

What we, and many others along with us, are interested in finding out is the incidence of cancer, especially cancer of the thyroid, before and after the nuclear testing began at Mor uroa in 1966. By a strange coincidence, no further health statistics have been published since that date.

If the honourable govern ment councillor is unable to supply such basic data, which is of vital interest to all of us, because they are withheld from him by the French general and army doctors who run all public health services in French Polynesia, we expect soon to see in these columns a second letter of protest from him.

Marie-Therese And

Bengt Danielsson

Papehue Tahiti French Polynesia

When Kiaps

legendary

I am sure I will be joined by other former residents of the Mandated Territory of New Guinea and of Papua in con demnation of the ‘kiap-baiting’ letter over the name of one Kessua Tamai (PIM Mar plO).

The writer makes frequent reference to the ‘legendary kiaps’ of the postwar era. To me as a long-time prewar resident of New Guinea, with all due respect to the patrol and other field officers who picked up the reins of government after the war and built on the foun dations previously established, it was the kiaps of the 1920 s and ’3os who merit the term ‘legend ary’.

As a miner, recruiter and contractor I lived and worked with the assistance and under the protection of kiaps such as

Eric Feldt, Ted Taylor, Gregory, Townsend, Downing, Penglase, Kyle, Bates, Keogh, Sampson, Sansom, Mack, and many others.

Periodically it was necessary for me to recruit native labour for my own work needs, and this at times involved entering freshly opened up territory hard on the heels of Administration patrols. It is certain that it was only their influence that en abled me to move about from village to village without moles tation. Twice I broke the rules by entering closed areas and being forced to shoot my way out.

Those were the days when prospectors, patrol officers and missionaries such as Baum, Karius, Naylor, McGrath, Mack, Br Eugene and Br Morchauser were killed by hos tile Highlands natives. Some were flown to Salamaua drome from where I drove them to the local hospital by truck. They died a few days later. I also performed the same service for badly wounded patrol officer McCarthy and Mick and Paddy Leahy, all of whom luckily recovered.

After such happenings it was usually a senior officer, a DO or an ADO who would return with an armed party of native police to the scene, bury the remains, and bring back the ringleaders of the attack to the coast for trial and imprisonment.

One must include the medi cal kiaps, the lik-lik doctors who visited remote areas, giving injections for tropical com

plaints such as leprosy, yaws and malaria, and bringing back serious cases of skin disease and ulcers for hospitalisation.

Came the Pacific War and many of the kiaps embarked on a more dangerous game in the ranks of the even more legend ary coastwatchers, risking cap ture and death, and betrayal by disloyal indigenes, in the course of reporting enemy movements by sea, land and air. Among those who were captured and executed were friends of mine.

Kessua Tamai makes scath ing reference to the number of European-New Guinea half castes roaming the villages and townships. This has always gone along with colonisation, but why single out the kiaps, either pre or postwar, as being the cause? Certainly I could in stance isolated cases where an Administration officer playing a lone hand in a remote outpost had a native woman in his household, but so did plantation overseers, miners, and others under like conditions.

The ships’ officers and crews and officers and soldiers of escorting troops in ships bring ing convict women to Australia in the days of transportation did not lack female company dur ing their long voyages from England.

Bert E. Weston

Wollstonecraft NSW Australia That Forum Line

debate again

I was amused to read the letter by Sir Julius Chan, (PIM Feb) and the stance he took in regard to my comments on the Pacific

An administration patrol cross ing Tumbudu River, PNG on a native-built bridge.

Forum Line. (PIM Dec ’Bl p 9).

If some of my remarks were red herrings, then his must have been bluefin tunas.

He questions my competence to speak with authority about the state of the shipping indus try, and especially the PFL.

Without going into detail, I worked on the Marama while she was engaged on the Island run, and have subsequently observed the Forum Line vessels operating in most of the ports they service. I therefore feel that my assertions have a very sound base.

The fact that the Forum Line vessels are of the wrong type to service the Islands efficiently is borne out by comments from stevedores and shipping agents, and I therefore stand by every thing I stated in your December issue.

I did not need Sir Julius to point out the essence of his September statements. It is very clear to me that he is trying to please everybody at once.

One only needs to look in the Shipping Services pages of PIM to see that the South Pacific is more than adequately serviced without the Forum Line. If the Forum Line is a visible sign of the achievements of together ness (as stated), then I shudder to think of Sir Julius’s ideas on disarray and white elephants.

Kevin Judkins

Sydney NSW Australia Tourism in the

Isle of Pines

Having recently returned from a most enjoyable visit to New Caledonia’s Isle of Pies, I was most interested to read Malcolm Salmon’s article (PIM Dec ’Bl p5l).

I have the highest regard for Mr Salmon’s journalistic ability. However I feel that his resume of the magic island is incomplete. And lest I be ac cused of criticism, let me add that I appreciate how difficult it must be to gather material whilst on a one-day visit in the company of Club Med clients.

Mr Salmon’s brief from the New Caledonian tourist authority was, I am sure, to discuss tourism and potential tourism to the islands. The Isle of Pines has suffered dra

matically since the closure of the Relais de Knumera (hotel) in 1979 for whatever reasons.

Land, legal and financial prob lems appear such that the buildings will never be used again, even if UTH has the desire. A great pity, for the Isle of Pines is one of the few remaining paradises in our shrinking world.

What Mr Salmon failed to point out is the efforts currently being made to attract at least some tourism back to the island.

As Mr Salmon experienced, day trips are a regular feature, with clients of Noumea’s hotels taking the flight down south for a bus trip around the island and then back again. Hardly satisfy ing to the tourist, nor the local economy. What is required is a concerted effort to attract tour ists comensurate with the facili ties available. Accommodation is required if tourists are to stay for a week or two, and as much as they may have wished to stay there has been little or no choice since the Relais de Kanumera closed its doors.

Now at least there is accom modation, due to the enterprise of a local islander. Mine Host Guillaume has constructed four very comfortablle bures, a res taurant and bar, and amenities block within a few seconds of magnificent Kanumera Bay.

His accommodation, known as Nataiwatch, provides for small groups, and, as bookings have indicated, most are scuba divers wishing to take advantage of the unspoiled reefs and clear warm water. Guillaume has received asistance and encouragement from the local water-sports group Nauticlub, survivors of the closure of the Relais de Kanumera. Albert Thoma, Hilary Roots and Tony Klotz have been on the island for over 10 years. They are determined that their share of paradise is distributed to visiting divers, and they have co-operated very closely with local people such as Guillaume to ensure that the Isle of Pines at least stays on the tourist map.

Since the closure of the hotel, Nauticlub have survived on day groups, using their 10-metre boat for trips to nearby beaches, with the customary picnic barbecue of fresh fish and crust aceans. This is clearly insuffic

ient and the co-operation be tween Nauticlub the Euro pean and the Nataiwatch the Kunie is to be com mended.

May their paradise be never ending, and may Malcolm Salmon return with his family for a longer visit.

Peter Stone

Aquarius/Dive Travel Australia, Upper Ferntree Gully VIC, Australia.

To your last paragraph, Malcolm Salmon says ‘Hear, hear!’ Editor.

Thumbs up on

yachties (5)

As a regular subscriber to your periodical, I have always been interested in the section report ing the movements of yachts and craft in the Pacific.

There are amateur radio op erators’ ‘nets’ which voluntarily maintain daily contact with cruising vessels the owners of which report their respective positions, weather conditions, and other details of concern to fellow yachtsmen.

The purpose of this letter is to inquire whether you would ask your correspondents who report the arrival of the various craft, whether at Keri Keri, Raro tonga, Pago Pago or elsewhere, to include the call-sign of those craft whose owners are licensed amateur operators this has been done in a few instances and such information has been most useful.

As a licensed amateur oper ator I have contacted yachts from time to time and in a number of instances have main tained regular ‘schedules’ with the owners and have followed their progress from one port to another.

The amateurs in USA, Canada, Australia, New Zea land and other locations who conduct the ‘nets’ are primarily concerned with the respective call-signs, and do not refer to the craft by their names so that it is impossible in many cases to identify the yacht.

G.W. Mitchell

Raumati Beach New Zealand We will certainly put this proposal to our correspondents.

Editor.

Thumbs upon

yachties (6)

I would truly like to have the pleasure of ‘cracking the whip’ over Frank Lewis (PIM Jan p 8) with his griping about yachties.

I should also like to provide him with a lump of wood and wish him ‘Bon voyage’ as he sets out across the Pacific on it.

Your ‘Yachts’ column has been a feature of your magazine for many, many years.

Yachties being a close group of sailing people, caring for the safety of one another, we look forward to this feature as it is a means of knowing if someone is in trouble or needs help or, again, has made it safely to their next destination.

In Port-Vila last October I received word of my daughter’s brutal murder by a purse mug ger in the States. Yachties took care of everything for me arrangements, storage, boat, etc. I arrived back in Port-Vila in February and within three days received cabled infor mation of the death of my son.

If it had not been for all the yachties at the Tradewinds Ma rina, Suva Carol Dunlop {Black Magic), Glen and Veronika ( Piccolino ), Julia Brooke White ( Quin Qurine ), and all the others in the States who wired and kept in constant contact with me, making long distance calls sometimes three times a week, writing letters and doing so many things to help, I don’t know how I would have come through the ordeal.

Peggy Larkin

Suva Fiji

Finding missing

friends via RIM?

I am sure there are many ‘Time Before’ types who would ap preciate learning of the present whereabouts of particular friends before they read their obituaries on the back page of

Pim.

Could a ‘Missing Friends’ facility be included in your invaluable publication even, in extremis, making a charge for the service?

John Davies

Christchurch New Zealand It seems a good idea, and we’re looking at the best way to

meet your request

Editor.