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Mangaian Society

Protection of Food Supplies

Protection of Food Supplies

Undue depletion of various foods was corrected by declaring a closed season (ra'ui). In ancient times the initiation of this economic safeguard rested with the Ruler of Food (ariki i te tapora kai). Since the definite division of the island into six districts, each district has acted independently. The district distributor of food is one of the subdistrict chiefs who has been agreed upon by the district and subdistrict chiefs. The person selected is thus entrusted with the rauaika (banana leaf) at feasts and is referred to as the kairanga nuku tei a ia te rauaika (subdistrict chief who has the banana leaf). For brevity he is termed the rauaika. It is the duty of the rauaika to inspect the cultivations within the district and take note of all vegetable food supplies. He also inspects the lagoon within the district boundaries to note whether the catches of fish are getting smaller. Should he think it necessary, he calls the district chief and subdistrict chiefs ('ui rangatira) together in council. The matter is discussed, and if a closed season is decided upon the ra'ui is promulgated through the district, each kairanga nuku taking the word to his own subdistrict. The news spreads from mouth to mouth and the closed season commences on the date given out. The closed season affects the land food supplies ('enua) or the sea (tai); the two forms of closure are termed ra'ui 'enua and ra'ui tai respectively.

1.

Inland closed season (ra'ui 'enua). The closed season on the products of the land, as taro, breadfruit, coconuts, and bananas, was promulgated by two special criers. Each crier was distinguished by a plaited coconut leaf suspended over the back and a leafletpage 142tied to each arm. The coconut leaf so worn was termed a tara ra'ui (notice of a closed season)and was instantly recognized by the people. The criers made a round of the subdistricts, crying the following announcement at the top of their voices as they passed the dwellings:

E ra'ui tapu, A strict closed season,
E ra'ui taro, A closed season for taro,
E ra'ui kava A closed season for kava,
E ra'ui nganangana i.— A closed season for everything.—
Aore e 'aerea te po, No going out by night,
Aore e 'aerea te ao, No going out by day,
Kota'i e 'aere Only one may go out,
Ko te takave i te tua o te ra'ui. [He who carries] on his back the sign of the closed season,
Ta'i kikau e topa Only one coconut leaf may fall,
Na te atua. That for the god.

The names of the articles of food prohibited may be enumerated, and if all food is not included the fourth line with nganangana is omitted. The coconut leaf refers to a coconut which may be used in religious ceremonial and which the priest may drink to quench the thirst of the god.

2.

Shore closed season (ra'ui tai). In addition to the oral promulgation by the chiefs, long poles with a coconut leaf attached were set up on the beach. Such poles might also be set up on the reef near large pools that were favorite fishing places.

Men were told off as rangers (tiaki) to make frequent patrols along the water front. It was stated that in the time of Tereavai, the last Ngati-Vara priest, the ra'ui were so rigidly observed that the fish, as if knowing they were safe, were thick in the lagoon pools. Good rangers could tell from the appearance of the pools whether or not fish had been removed. If suspicion was aroused, they went inland to the dwellings to seek the thief. The first test was the examination of the oven sites and smelling the oven stones. If the odor of fish was detected, a search was made in the neighboring middens, rubbish, or wherever soil had been disturbed. The discovery of fresh fish bones convicted the owner of the property on which they were found. He was subjected to considerable abuse, and his hair was cut off. In a community that wore the hair long, the presence of a close crop informed the public that the person had broken the ra'ui. To escape the public contempt, the guilty person often went into retirement until his hair grew again.

A song of ridicule applied to breakers of the ra'ui tai runs as follows:

Ra'ui tapu na Rua e—. Sacred closed season of Rua—.
Ua mau te keia. A thief has been discovered.
Tueru'ia ia mau e, Pursue that he be caught,
Petepete to tutae. May thy bowels work with fright.
Ua 'oro e na raro i te tapa 'utu. He escapes beneath the Barringtonia trees on the shore.
O ta'au reka ia ra That is thy only satisfaction
Ua riro to upenga For thy net is confiscated,
E vai'o to kete. Thy basket of fish is left behind.
Tipaku riri—'aere. O thing causing anger—go.

When the closed season had lasted long enough to allow the rangers to report that fish were plentiful, the chiefs met again. The close of the ra'ui, if agreed on, was publicly promulgated by a crier sounding a shell trumpet or beating a wooden gong as he made the announcement through the inhabited area. The fishing was then open to all and all were assured of a good catch.

The news of the declaration of a closed season in a neighboring district drew attention to a similar need, and district after district followed until page 143the whole island was declared a ra'ui. Even when the need of a district was not so great as that of the district which initiated the movement, it was good policy to follow suit in order to prevent having to exercise hospitality too frequently to people from the closed district. Theft on land and poaching in the sea could also be more readily combated by declaring a closed season.