Lau

• Traditional Culture (1868)
  • Isolation
    Isolation

    Question	Response	Source
    Pre-Austronesian population	Present: Clear evidence of human occupation prior to Austronesian settlement	Bellwood 1995: 109
    Christian influence on supernatural belief	No evidence of influence and not in region of known contact (No evidence of Christian influence on supernatural belief, and culture is unlikely to have had contact with Christian societies at or prior to the time focus in question.)	Ivens 1930: 71-74
    Hindu / Buddhist influence on supernatural belief	No evidence of influence and not in region of known contact (No evidence of Hindu / Buddhist influence on supernatural belief, and culture is unlikely to have had contact with Hindu or Buddhist societies at or prior to to the time focus in question.)	Cribb 2000: Map 2.21
    (Low) contact with other societies (SCCS v 787)	Frequent, through trade, warfare, travel, etc. (e.g. yearly or most years)	Ivens 1930: 253, 261-262
    Islamic influence on supernatural belief	No evidence of influence and not in region of known contact (No evidence of Islamic influence on supernatural belief, and culture is unlikely to have had contact with Islamic societies at or prior to the time focus in question.)	Cribb 2000: Map 2.23
    Distance to closest landmass inhabited by a different culture (km)	0	Moore 2017: 47
    Distance to nearest continent (km)	1815	Calculator 2014; Ivens 1930: 48-53, "Sketch Map of Mala"

  • Physical Environment
    Location

    Question	Response	Source
    Longitude of culture’s location (°)	160.8	Ivens 1930: 48-53, "Sketch Map of Mala"
    Latitude of culture’s location (°)	-8.3	Ivens 1930: 48-53, "Sketch Map of Mala"

    Geographical Range of Culture

    Question	Response	Source
    Number of islands inhabited by culture	Two	Ivens 1930: 48-53, "Sketch Map of Mala"

    Features of Island with Largest Culture Population

    Question	Response	Source
    Island type (island with largest culture population or largest island if unknown)	Volcanic high island (an oceanic island of volcanic origin, e.g. Hawaii)	2019
    Maximum elevation (meters)	1438	2019
    Island Size (km²)	4200	Moore 2007: 214

  • Social Environment
    Social Environment

    Question	Response	Source
    Estimate of culture population size at relevant time focus	5500	Ivens 1930: 50
    Importance of Matrilateral descent (V.2)	Medium (Matrilateral descent plays an important role in determining social status and / or group membership, but is not the most important form of descent.)	Ivens 1930: 80
    Importance of Patrilateral descent (V.2)	High (Patrilateral descent plays an important role in determining social status and / or group membership, and is more important than any other form of descent.)	Ivens 1930: 80, 89
    Polygamy (SCCS 861)	Monogamy preferred, but exceptional cases of polygyny	Ivens 1930: 100
    Marital residence (SCCS 69)	Patrilocal or virilocal - with husband's kin
    Estimated population of largest political community	100-999	Ivens 1930: 48-50, 75-92
    Political Authority	Local (encompasses the local community and / or multiple sublocal groups)	Ivens 1930: 48-50, 75-92

    Conflict

    Question	Response	Source
    (No) conflict (social or political) within the local community (SCCS v 767)	Moderate (Conflict occurs frequently but is seldom violent, or is violent but occurs only occasionally.)	Ivens 1930: 75-92, 178-201
    (No) internal warfare (between communities of the same society) (SCCS v 773)	Occasional, at least every generation	Ivens 1930: 75-92, 178-201
    (No) external warfare (with other societies) (SCCS v 774)	Common, at least every five years	Ivens 1930: 54, 90-91, 178-201

  • Subsistence and Economy
    Subsistence and Economy

    Question	Response	Source
    Metalworking	Absent	Ivens 1930: 74

    Land-based means of subsistence

    Question	Response	Source
    Animal husbandry as a source of food	Medium	Ivens 1930: 113-117, 243-275
    Land-based hunting performed by individuals	Absent	Ivens 1930: 113-117, 243-275
    Land-based gathering	Medium	Ivens 1930: 113-117, 243-275, 250
    Land-based hunting performed by one or more groups	Absent	Ivens 1930: 113-117, 243-275
    Agriculture / Horticulture	Major (one of the most important sources of food)	Ivens 1930: 253, 266-273

    Water-based means of subsistence

    Question	Response	Source
    Water-based gathering	Major	Ivens 1930: 256-257
    Fishing and water-based hunting performed by one or more groups	Major	Ivens 1930: 253-261
    Fishing and water-based hunting performed by individuals	Major	Ivens 1930: 253-261

    Commercial Activity

    Question	Response	Source
    Trade / wage labour as a source of food	Major	Ivens 1930: 253, 261-262

• Post Contact History (1868-2014)
  • Religious History
    Conversion

    Question	Response	Source
    Was a foreign religion adopted through a top-down (those high in the social hierarchy converted first, followed by the general population) or a bottom-up (the general population converted first, followed by those high in the social hierarchy) process?	Mixed / Neither (e.g. Both high-status individuals and the general population converted at the same time, or the religion was adopted through a mixture of top-down and bottom-up processes.)	Woodhead 1987
    Use of force in conversion	Low (most communities adopted the new religion either voluntarily or due to pressure from other communities of the same culture)	Woodhead 1987
    Adoption of a world religion	Present and predominant (At one time or another during the post-contact period, at least 75% of the indigenous population practiced a world religion.)	Woodhead 1987; Keesing 1991: 163

  • Secular History
    Demographic and Social Changes

    Question	Response	Source
    Foreign government systems	Present, and of high importance (At one time or another during the post-contact period the culture was subject to a foreign government system that controlled most important decisions.)	Ivens 1930: 45

    Economic Changes

    Question	Response	Source
    Changes in means of subsistence	Medium (Principal and major means of subsistence have changed from their indigenous states (e.g. through gain or loss of major and / or principal means of subsistence), but at least one of the major or principal means of subsistance has persisted.)	Molea 2008: 30
    Exportation of goods to other cultures	Present and substantial (At one time or another during the post-contact period, exports were a primary focus of economic activity for over 10% of the population.)	Ivens 1930: 45-46

    Modern Infrastructure

    Question	Response	Source
    Air travel	Present, local only (At no time during the post-contact period did most members of the culture have access to international air travel, but at one time or another most members of the culture had access to domestic air travel.)	Government 2001: 18-19
    Sea port	Absent (At no time during the post-contact period did most members of the culture have access to a sea port.)	Government 2001: 19

    Loss of Autonomy

    Question	Response	Source
    Loss of autonomy during postcontact period	High (On at least one occasion during the post-contact period, the culture came under the political dominance of a foreign power, and this event resulted in considerable loss of autonomy.)	Ivens 1930: 45