Maramasike
| Native name: Maramasike | |
|---|---|
 South Malaita Island
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| Geography | |
| Location | Pacific Ocean |
| Archipelago | Solomon Islands |
| Area | 480.5 km2 (185.5 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 518 m (1,699 ft) |
| Administration | |
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Solomon Islands
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| Demographics | |
| Population | 12,967 (2009) |
Correction on Family and Culture: High Chief: Ououinemauri. 8 Iola: 1) Korutalaupeine, 2)Korutalaumwaimwei, 3)Hoasitaimwane, 4)Iolairamo, 5)Ero-ueniusu, 6)Louatowa, 7)Ueniusupaina, 8) Apuilalamoa. Small Malaita has 12 dialects Sa'a is one of them, spoken only by two villages.
South Malaita Island, also known as Small Malaita and Maramasike for Areare speakers and Malamweimwei known to more than 80% of the islanders, is the island at the southern tip of the larger island of Malaita in the eastern part of the Solomon Islands. It is called "small" to distinguish it from the much larger mainland. It is now part of Malaita Province. South Malaita came under effective control of the colonial administration after the Solomon Islands was declared a British Protectorate in 1893. The administration included the collection of taxes from the islanders. During the colonial days, the island was divided by the colonial government and missionary establishments into the Asimeuri, Asimae, and Raroisu'u districts. Away from Malaita, most people from "Small" or "South" Malaita usually just say the word "South", everyone knows what they mean.
People on the island, however, preferred to identify only with members of their extended families, where ties are the strongest, and with members of their clans and tribes, which are governed within traditionally demarcated regions known as iolas, which are led by a high chief ALAHAOUOU. The Island is refer to as IOLA RAHA, which consist of 8 Iola, namely Hoasitaimwane, Kolutalau, Ououmatawa, Ueniusu, Uenisu Unu, Roasi, Iolairamo and Inamauri. The language spoken by the people of Small Malaita is the Sa'a dialect. The language, however, has variations in pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary from iola to iola. The people practised patrilineal descent, with men having the most say over ownership rights and recognised as head of families, clans and tribes. Women played a much lesser role in the art of governing; however, they were equally respected in society.
According to Malaitian oral history, a Polynesian woman named Barafaifu introduced dolphin drive hunting to Malaita from Ontong Java Atoll, she settled in Fanalei as it was the place for hunting. Dolphin hunting ceased in the mid-19th century. The influence of Christian missionaries is thought to be the cause of the end to hunting. However, in 1948 dolphin hunting was revived in Fanalei village in South Malaita and also Walande, located 10 km to the north as well as at villages on Malaita, including Ata’a, Felasubua, Sulufou (in the Lau Lagoon) and at Mbita’ama harbour (North East Malaita). However, Fanalei in South Malaita remained the preeminent dolphin hunting village.
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Wikipedia