Lau Lagoon
Encyclopedia
Lau Lagoon is a part of Solomon Islands
. It is located on the northeast coast
of Malaita Island. The lagoon
is more than 35 kilometers long and contains 60 artificial island
s.
The Lau lagoon is home to a number of different village
s, the largest of which is Forau. Forau has around 1500 permanent residents but can swell to three times that number during important local feasts or religious holidays (e.g. Christmas, Easter). The Lau Lagoon is accessible only by sea, it has no roads or airstrip. The closest road ends at Manu some six kilometres south of Forau.
There are six tribal chiefs who share the responsibility of governing the lagoon in cultural matters. One of these chiefs is considered the 'paramount chief.'
The people of Lau Lagoon were forced from the hills by one of the many aggressive tribe
s located in the highlands, and their land rights in the area are heavily disputed. Because they do not have an ancestral claim to this land many families live on man made islands. These islands were formed literally one rock at a time, and they are an amazing sight to see. A family would take their canoe
out to the reef which protects the lagoon and then dive for rocks, bring them to the surface and then return to the selected site and drop the rocks into the water.
Most people living in this area are subsistence farmers, growing small crops of taro
, kumara
(sweet potato), banana
s, coconut
and kale
. Seafood
was once plentiful, but it is becoming harder to come by due to pressure from international
fisheries
. The Lau Lagoon is locally known for its annual harvesting of the dolphins. The dolphins are used as a food source, and only select tribes may participate in this activity. The dolphins are driven onto the beach by men who surround the pod in dugout canoes and interfere with the dolphins ability to navigate by banging specially shaped rocks together under the water. When the dolphins are beached men and women slaughter them and process the carcasses. None of the dolphin is wasted, even its teeth are used in highly valued 'red money' necklaces and headbands.
The Lau Lagoon has a number of churches, and is in the Anglican Parish of St Marks.
In the southern end of the lagoon is a small village called 'Odo' which is strictly Roman Catholic.
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
. It is located on the northeast coast
Coast
A coastline or seashore is the area where land meets the sea or ocean. A precise line that can be called a coastline cannot be determined due to the dynamic nature of tides. The term "coastal zone" can be used instead, which is a spatial zone where interaction of the sea and land processes occurs...
of Malaita Island. The lagoon
Lagoon
A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...
is more than 35 kilometers long and contains 60 artificial island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
s.
The Lau lagoon is home to a number of different village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
s, the largest of which is Forau. Forau has around 1500 permanent residents but can swell to three times that number during important local feasts or religious holidays (e.g. Christmas, Easter). The Lau Lagoon is accessible only by sea, it has no roads or airstrip. The closest road ends at Manu some six kilometres south of Forau.
There are six tribal chiefs who share the responsibility of governing the lagoon in cultural matters. One of these chiefs is considered the 'paramount chief.'
The people of Lau Lagoon were forced from the hills by one of the many aggressive tribe
Tribe
A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term tribal society to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups .Some theorists...
s located in the highlands, and their land rights in the area are heavily disputed. Because they do not have an ancestral claim to this land many families live on man made islands. These islands were formed literally one rock at a time, and they are an amazing sight to see. A family would take their canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
out to the reef which protects the lagoon and then dive for rocks, bring them to the surface and then return to the selected site and drop the rocks into the water.
Most people living in this area are subsistence farmers, growing small crops of taro
Taro
Taro is a common name for the corms and tubers of several plants in the family Araceae . Of these, Colocasia esculenta is the most widely cultivated, and is the subject of this article. More specifically, this article describes the 'dasheen' form of taro; another variety is called eddoe.Taro is...
, kumara
Kumara
Kumara may refer to:Places* Kumara, New Zealand, a town* Kumara , a Parliamentary electoratePeople*Ajith Kumara , Sri Lankan politician*Dinesh Kumara , Sri Lankan cricketer...
(sweet potato), banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
s, coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
and kale
Kale
Kale is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, zeaxanthin, and reasonably rich in calcium. Kale, as with broccoli and other brassicas, contains sulforaphane , a chemical with potent anti-cancer properties. Boiling decreases the level of sulforaphane; however, steaming,...
. Seafood
Seafood
Seafood is any form of marine life regarded as food by humans. Seafoods include fish, molluscs , crustaceans , echinoderms . Edible sea plants, such as some seaweeds and microalgae, are also seafood, and are widely eaten around the world, especially in Asia...
was once plentiful, but it is becoming harder to come by due to pressure from international
International
----International mostly means something that involves more than one country. The term international as a word means involvement of, interaction between or encompassing more than one nation, or generally beyond national boundaries...
fisheries
Fishery
Generally, a fishery is an entity engaged in raising or harvesting fish which is determined by some authority to be a fishery. According to the FAO, a fishery is typically defined in terms of the "people involved, species or type of fish, area of water or seabed, method of fishing, class of boats,...
. The Lau Lagoon is locally known for its annual harvesting of the dolphins. The dolphins are used as a food source, and only select tribes may participate in this activity. The dolphins are driven onto the beach by men who surround the pod in dugout canoes and interfere with the dolphins ability to navigate by banging specially shaped rocks together under the water. When the dolphins are beached men and women slaughter them and process the carcasses. None of the dolphin is wasted, even its teeth are used in highly valued 'red money' necklaces and headbands.
The Lau Lagoon has a number of churches, and is in the Anglican Parish of St Marks.
In the southern end of the lagoon is a small village called 'Odo' which is strictly Roman Catholic.