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Rotumans Lost at Sea

by Henry Enasio (Sydney, Australia)

I was intrigued, but also concerned, and therefore wanted to know the circumstances of the tragic events that occurred at sea for some of our community members. Certainly there are some folks in the community will be able to enlighten me and clarify the circumstances.

In the past several years the community had experienced tragic loses of human lives at sea. Some of these deaths were in mysterious circumstances and others were catastrophes.

The deaths that I believe occurred in mysterious circumstances and to date are unresolved were:

  • the loss of four young men, two of whom I knew very well, at the passage of my beloved district of Pepjei. I said my beloved district of Pepjei because half of my maternal side is from Pepjei and my folks there are many and have always been there for us.
  • the disappearance of a young child from Haga who was related to both my wife and me.
  • the drowning of a niece at Savlei.
  • the loss of a father from Itu‘muta. 
  • The catastrophic deaths were the result of either a hurricane, a cyclone, a fire on board a ship, etc., such as the:
  • sinking of the Uluilakeba enroute to Lau, where I lost a close relative with his two young children.
  • burning of Captain Bougainville; I knew and grew up with some of the dead sailors. 
  • sinking of that container ship (sorry couldn't recall the name) near Canada, where I lost a couple of school mates.

The culture, tradition, and background we grew up with made most Rotumans very superstitious, despite the widespread influence of Christianity. Fortunately for me, I am not one of those superstitious ones. These incidents happened several years ago but the community at large has never discussed them in detail. They seem to be a tabooed subject, but I'm sure there's a lot of curiosity in the community. Indeed, it seems that no one wants to discuss the issue but rather would sweep it under the mat and just let it lie like a sleeping dog until it rears its ugly head again. Then we'll do the same hush-hush and sweep it under the mat again.  

Death is a reality, but I know that it's not a favourite topic of discussion, even though we know full well that one day, we'll all die. We must be prepared, even though we don't know when it will happen again. The time has come for the community to be proactive and to do something to prevent such mishaps.

I believe that some of the circumstances surrounding the mysterious deaths could have been prevented. Those folks could have lived to enjoy life to the fullest if precautions were taken then, such as:

  1. the community, including the young men, should be warned of the dangers of fishing at the passage at night.
  2. the passage should be declared a dangerous fishing spot. 
  3. permission to fish at the passage should only be given by the Chief of Pepjei, similar to fapui'ak. 
  4. fishermen should be prepared for unforeseen circumstances by:
    • checking the weather
    • ensuring the right clothes are worn, such as a diving suit etc.
    • ensuring the canoe or boat and the engine are in good working condition.
    • stocking up on board enough fuel and water for eventualities.
    • using the right fishing gear, including an oxygen tank, a good spear gun, goggles, flippers, etc. where possible when spear fishing.
    • fishing with a mate or partner who can help when difficulties arise.
    • providing the family an estimated time of arrival (ETA); when the ETA has elapsed a search should be instituted immediately.
  5. The tragedies highlight the need for extra care by parents and primary care givers when looking after the little children. The little ones should be taught how to swim at an early age, especially in the surrounding sea.

As for the Rotuman sailors who lost their lives at sea, we are very sad. There is a Rotuman saying that kop la ma 'on soa he (i.e. incidents must be paired). Already there were three incidents, and if the saying is true then there will be a fourth incident! Thus in the old days, when a Rotuman died tragically an a'ofia was performed to appease the gods and to prevent a restless spirit from causing a recurrence. How true it is I don't know, but does anyone in the community know what to do or how to deal with this?

I'd love to hear from any Rotuman who is well versed in the above incidents and who has suggestions about how to prevent them in the future.

Submitted 14 May 2004

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