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Tikopia

Tikopia. Easter Island Review. Did Easter Island have any imports? What were main food sources on Easter? Describe trees on Easter Island. What happened with Easter’s population? What happened to the birds and shellfish?. Tikopia. Pacific Island Area = 1.8 square miles

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Tikopia

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  1. Tikopia

  2. Easter Island Review • Did Easter Island have any imports? • What were main food sources on Easter? • Describe trees on Easter Island. • What happened with Easter’s population? • What happened to the birds and shellfish?

  3. Tikopia • Pacific Island • Area = 1.8 square miles • Population = 1200 people • Occupied for almost 3000 years • Nearest land 1/7 of a square mile is 85 miles away

  4. “I was once asked seriously by a group of [Tikopians], ‘Friend, is there any land where the sound of the sea is not heard?’” –Jared Diamond

  5. Traveling between Tikopia and other islands through the stormy Southwest Pacific in small canoes is dangerous Only imports on Tikopia were spouses, stone, bows and arrows, shells, & pottery Food could not be imported in any significant quantity

  6. Tikopia’s 2 Problems • How can we reliably provide food for 1200 people? • How can the population be limited to the carrying capacity of the island?

  7. Food • Whole island is managed for sustainable food production—no slash-and-burn • Almost every plant species on Tikopia is used • Most of the island is an orchard, growing coconut, breadfruit, etc. • Understory has yams, banana, taro • Like a rainforest of edible plants

  8. Food (cont.) • Grow taro, yams, and manioc in fields • Fish and shellfish for protein • Chief’s permission required to catch or eat fish-taboo prevented overfishing • Excess breadfruit is fermented for annual dry season and cyclones (average 2 each year)

  9. Population Control • Chiefs teach zero population growth • Tikopians: Do not continue to have children when eldest son reaches marriable age Do not have more than 4 children, one boy and one girl, or one boy and two girls

  10. Population Control • Birth control • Abortion • Infanticide • Celibacy • Suicide • Dangerous overseas voyages • War

  11. European Influence • Most population control disappeared with European influence in 20th century • British government outlawed sea voyaging and warfare • Missionaries prevented abortion, infanticide, and suicide

  12. Population grew: 1929: 1,278 people 1952: 1,573 people Two powerful cyclones destroyed half of Tikopia’s crops British government sent food and resettled Tikopians on other islands Today, chiefs limit population to 1,115

  13. Rise of Sustainability • Island settled around 900 BC • Forests were burned • Extinction of six bird species • Fruit bat almost eliminated • Fish and bird bones 3X lower in middens • 10X decrease in shellfish • Decrease in maximum size of giant clams

  14. Rise of Sustainability (cont.) • 100 BC burning stops • Almond orchards maintained • As fish and birds disappear, pigs make up larger part of diet (up to half of protein) • 1200 AD Polynesians bring technique for storing breadfruit

  15. Rise of Sustainability (cont.) • 1600 AD Islanders decide to kill every pig Pigs destroyed gardens Pigs compete with humans for food Pigs are inefficient (ten pounds of vegetable = one pound of pork) Pigs were a luxury for chiefs

  16. Why on Tikopia? • Island is small-everyone knows the whole island • Everyone knows everyone else • Cyclone and drought hurt whole island • Collective decision making • Chiefs produce their own food-share same values with their people

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