Araki (island)

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Araki
Waters Pacific Ocean
Archipelago Sanma
Geographical location 15 ° 37 '55 "  S , 166 ° 57' 11"  E Coordinates: 15 ° 37 '55 "  S , 166 ° 57' 11"  E
Araki (Island) (Vanuatu)
Araki (island)
surface 2.5 km²
Residents 140
56 inhabitants / km²

Araki Island is a small rocky island in the Sanma Province of the South Pacific island state of Vanuatu . An endangered language of the same name is spoken on the island.

geography

The island occupies an area of ​​2.5 km² and is about 4.8 km off the south coast of Espiritu Santo Island , the largest island in Vanuatu. It forms the extension of the Tasmaloum headland to the west. To the north of the island is the island of Île Elia and much further to the east is the island of Malo .

population

Araki has always had few residents. Census records from 1897 counted 103 island residents, while in 1989 112 residents were counted and 121 in 1999. In 2009 140 residents were counted. However, this number does not exactly reflect how many people live permanently on the island: due to the difficulties in earning a living on Araki, many local Arakians are forced to look for work on the main island of Espiritu Santo: they have numerous men and sometimes entire families at least temporarily a second home on the main island.

The island's community is divided into five small villages. These are (from east to west): Pelinta , Parili , Parili-Aru , Vinapahura and Sope . By and large, the villages belong to individual family clans so-called 'vapa' (about "cave"). In the vicinity of Sope there is an area which is considered to be community land. This is known as the "mission". There is a church, a meeting house, a cooperative, an aid base, the chief's house, the pastor's house and the house of the women's club.

economy

Most of the inhabitants live from subsistence farming and fishing. Pigs and poultry are kept. Besides is copra and cocoa grown and in some stores baked goods are offered. Crabs, palm thief , fish and fruits are sold in the local Luganville market.

language

The residents of Araki speak their own language, the Araki . However, this language is threatened with extinction as the locals cannot use their language in contact with people from other islands. There are only 5 native speakers left. Most of the speakers have acquired the language Tangoa (Leon Tatagoa) or the Pidgin language Bislama . Tangoa's influence is reinforced by inter-island marriages and the influence of missionaries and the Church, as services are usually held in Bislama or Tangoa and only occasionally in Araki.

The public school system is another factor in the decline of the language. On the one hand, because the secondary schools officially only teach in French or English. On the other hand, because the teachers usually come from other parts of Vanuatu and therefore speak Bislama. Third, there is only one kindergarten and one elementary school on Araki, so the children can only continue their education on the main island.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Vanuatu . Haos Blong Volkeno. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  2. ↑ 2009 Census Summary release final - Government of Vanuatu.

literature

  • Alexandre François: Araki: A disappearing language of Vanuatu . In: Pacific Linguistics. 522. Canberra: Australian National University 2002. ISBN 0-85883-493-6 ( Publisher's page ).

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