Jowita Photography: Wallisian

This post is a little out of the ordinary. As I mentioned in a previous post I recently spent some time up in Sydney. I stayed at my Mum's house and I was more than happy to forage through all our old photos in the hope of finding some good, happy memories to bring back to Melbourne. I found a few of me and my siblings as young children. I found a few of other relatives who are dear to me.

I also found some that I brought back with me, for no reason other than I just like the look of them. In some of these, I have no idea who the people in the photo are, but the photo just looks good.

So I thought I'd write about them; the unknown subjects and the possible stories behind them. At the same time I thought I'd educate my audience on a place in the world which is relatively unknown: Wallis Island.

My People

The above photo was taken in 1977. I love this photo but have no idea who these ladies are. I think they may have been Sisters (as in nuns) who are/were friends of my aunt, also a nun.

These women are Wallisian, like my mother. What I like most about this photo is that it offers us a glimpse into the Wallisian culture of yesteryear. They are dressed simply in sarongs. Their hair is simple. The land behind them is virtually untouched. They walk along the shore as the tide comes in.

This makes me think of the sea in front of my grandfather's house. At low tide, you could walk out towards the reef for miles. As children, my brother and I would spend hours exploring the shallow waters, looking for shells and strange sea creatures.

The last time I was in Wallis Island was 2010 and things have changed a lot. For a start you would not be seen dressed this way, despite the ridiculous heat! And even though the island is tiny, you're more likely to drive than walk, even if you're only going around the corner.

I wouldn't normally give this photo another thought, but something drew me in. Members of my family (the woman in the centre is another aunt, the man with the machete is my uncle and I just realised the woman beside him in the striped top is my mum!) sitting by the sea, eating fresh food out of weaved coconut baskets and just basking in the goodness of nature and the company of family and friends. Don't you just get the loveliest sense of community when you look at this? I just love the simplicity of life depicted in this picture. There are no phones. No gadgets to keep the kids entertained. Heck, they're not even using utensils.

I chose these photos because they illustrate almost perfectly how I view Wallisian culture, or at least how it used to be. How I wish it still was. Things have changed a lot over time and maybe that's why I liked these photos so much; because they've captured the essence of a place which has changed so drastically from what it used to be - paradise!

I hope to someday return. I want my children to know this side of their ancestry. But maybe these photos are all I'll have to show them.