August 12, 1977,
I have been living in Nacamaki village for 2 months now. I have been accepted as an honorary member of Manukira clan. This evening I attended a gathering of clan members as they collected enough tabuas (whale’s teeth) for a vulo (ten). A clan youth eloped with a girl from the neighboring village some time ago. A deputation of clan elders is to visit that village soon to offer their traditional apology for the offense.
The whale’s teeth arrived slowly one by one, brought by clan members who had one, or who had been able to borrow one. The yaqona was stirred up and shared around every so often. Eventually the magic number was reached. The vulo was ready.
The clan chief, an elderly man, then gave a lecture to the culprit who was sitting quietly among his friends. “You see how much trouble and expense we have gone to for your sake tonight,” he said. “You had better look after that girl. If we hear that you have beaten her we will all be very upset. We don’t want the good name of our clan spoiled and we don’t want any more trouble with our neighboring village.”
Then, as the culprit looked suitably contrite and humble, someone shouted from the back of the group, ”And you youths, if any of the rest of you want to elope with a girl, will you please find an Indian girl who is willing!”
by Fr. Frank Hoare
