Staying Fijian: Vatulele Island Barkcloth and Social Identity by Rod Edwins

Staying Fijian: Vatulele Island Barkcloth and Social Identity
By Rod Ewins

Bark-cloth or masi (generally called tapa by non-Fijians) is the traditional art of the women of Vatulele. While many other Fijian art forms have declined or disappeared, and barkcloth is no longer produced in some places where it once was, and despite its utilitarian functions having been totally usurped by Western cloth and paper, its production on this small island has increased steadily for over forty years. This book looks at the implications of this apparently paradoxical cultural vigor and ultimately, presents it as a strong unifying force for a small community facing many local and global challenges. The book places a very local activity in a global context, not only sociologically, but also theoretically. As well as presenting a theoretical and empirical study, it includes a number of photographs of barkcloth production and usage, and relevant ritual, historical and from the author’s own fieldwork.

Crawford House Publishing Australia, 2009
402 pages, color and black and white illustrations
ISBN Australia: 978-1-86333-302-9 ISBN USA: 978-0-8248-3112-7
www.crawfordhouse.com.au