Te Rii ni Banaba: backbone of Banaba (Second Edition) - Softcover

Sigrah, Raobeia Ken; King, Stacey M.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0648546225 ISBN 13: 9780648546221

Publisher: Banaban Vision, 2019

Synopsis

Te Rii ni Banaba - backbone of Banaba, is a history of Banaba, situated in the Central Pacific, once known as Ocean Island. By recording genealogies, myths, legends, customs, culture, magic rituals and the long-kept secrets of the te Aka clan reveals the uniqueness of Banaban identity.
The arrival of the I-Matang (Europeans), beachcombers, blackbirders, whalers, missionaries, and the miners in 1900, with the discovery of phosphate (guano) and a heartbreaking trail of loss, exploitation and environmental degradation from mining.
The toll of World War II atrocities suffered during the Japanese invasion, and the subsequent forced exile of the Banabans from their homeland. The recorded names of those tragically killed on Banaba during the War and displaced Banaban survivors who were exiled on Rabi, Fiji in 1945.
This second edition includes additional photographs, the discovery of the missing link of the Toakira, the search for Teimanaia's skull, identification of the landowners from the first agreements in 1900, and insights into the famous 1975 Banaban Court Case. It also provides details of villages lost to mining for future generations to trace their genealogies and land rights.
Although remote and now decimated by mining, Banaba remains in the hearts of all Banabans.

About this title

About the Author

Raobeia Ken Sigrah is an indigenous Banaba clan spokesman and historian. 
 
Stacey King is an Australian with four generations of her family involved in the mining  of Banaba.
 
Together they formed a personal and collaborative partnership to seek justice and the rehabilitation of the Banaban homeland. They believe their lives are intertwined, bringing them together to right the wrongs of the past.

From the Back Cover

Te Rii ni Banaba-backbone of Banaba, is a history of the people of Banaba, a small island in the Central Pacific once known as OceanIsland. By recording genealogies, myths, legends, customs, culture, sports,music, dance, totems, and magic rituals and the long-kept secrets of the te Aka clan reveals the uniqueness of Banaban identity. The arrival of the I-Matang(Europeans), beachcombers, blackbirders, whalers, missionaries, and the miners in 1900, with the discovery of phosphate (guano)and a heartbreaking trail of loss, exploitation and environmental degradation from mining. The toll of World War II atrocities suffered during the Japanese invasion, and the subsequent forced exile of the Banabans From their homeland. The recorded names of those tragically killed on Banaba during the War and displaced Banaban survivors who were exiled on Rabi, Fiji in 1945.

This second edition includes additional photographs, the discovery of the missing link of the Toakira, the search for Teimanaia's skull, identification of the landowners from the first agreements in 1900, and insights into the famous 1975 Banaban Court Case. It also provides details of villages lost to mining for future generations to trace their genealogies and land rights. Although remote and now decimated by mining, Banaba remains in the hearts of all Banabans.

Te Rii ni Banaba - backbone of Banaba, offers not only traditional knowledge and historical research but also the authors commitment to save the remaining evidence of the old Banaba. The book is essential reading for Banabans, and for a broader audience, keen to learn more about migrations,environment, human rights and the fate of an indigenous people in the modern world.

From the Inside Flap

"Banaba
For the land that we love
And to what we have lost
Will remain in our hearts...forever"
Raobeia Ken Sigrah

"Banaba,
I bukin te aba ae tangiraki
Ao ibukin bwaai aika atia nibua mai iroura
Ana tei matoa uringakia Inanora... naki toki"
Raobeia Ken Sigrah

"Ken, we may be learned professors and have degrees
but the knowledge you have about your people can never
be found in Academic writings or the best universities,
for this knowledge comes from the very people themselves"
Dr W. Kempf, Rabi Island 1997

Edition details

• Publisher: Banaban Vision
• Publication date: 2019
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0648546225
• ISBN 13: 9780648546221
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 470